Sakura's New Present
by MarzSpy
Summary: Sequel to Sakura's New Past. Sakura is back from the past but finds she's missed more than expected. War is just around the corner and Sakura is smack caught in the middle of it, in more ways than one. Was her going back to the past really a good thing? She thought she knew everything there was to know, but finds she hardly knew anything in the grand scheme of things.
1. Since Then (Prologue)

**Hello lovely readers! I'm back with the sequel to Sakura's New Past! That's right! For all you new readers, this is a SEQUEL, so if you start here this won't make much sense to you!**

**I just want to start off by saying that updates will be SLOW, considering I had wanted to finish editing all of Sakura's New Past before continuing on with the sequel, and since I failed to do that, I'll be working on both at the same time. I'll try to do 2-3 revisions on previous chapters in between updates on this fic, just to try and balance out my work.**

**I know a lot of you guys wished for Sakura to remain in the past, but the problem with that is that if she did, there would be two Sakura's in one timeline, and none in the other. And given the circumstances of the Haruno Clan and Orochimaru dead set on finding out the heir, it made trouble that I didn't want to deal with, plus, I already had such a great plan for the plot were Sakura to return to the future. Plus, calculating the poll results plus individual pms of opinions, it had been just about even, given that the "don't care, your choice" votes were added to the going back to the present, for that one is the one I would have preferred to go with.**

**But, regardless of that, I'm sure you guys are going to enjoy what I have in store for you ^_^ You will not be disappointed readers!**

**Now without further ado, I give you guys the sequel.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its character in any shape, or form**

**Chapter 1 (Prologue): Since then**

_Breathe with me Mikoto, we'll make it through_

_Don't worry, I'm here with you. Deep labored breaths Mikoto, we're almost there._

_One more push Mikoto, keep fighting._

_Congratulations, it's a healthy baby girl._

_Her name?_

…_.Saki… Saki Uchiha_

_Wait, what's up with her-_

* * *

_Itachi had not seen Konoha in such high spirits in what could have been ages. Of course, why wouldn't it be lively? The sole female survivor of the Uchiha Massacre had just given birth to a healthy baby girl, he had heard._

_Getting into the village just to catch a glimpse of his precious younger sister had not been an easy feat –not as easy as it usually had been, anyway. Itachi noted, with growing recognition and acceptance, that they had upped security greatly, if not to be wary of Itachi sneaking in to "finish what he started", than in fear that neighboring countries would have their eyes set on Mikoto or the child._

_At least this way, Itachi could be sure that his family was safe._

_And not just them, too…_

_-Sakura._

_Just the thought of her name sent his blood pulsing a little harder. He hadn't seen her in months –since they day after the massacre, to be exact. He hadn't dared come back after their confrontation –after she had explicitly told him to leave… to get out, and to shred all attachments he had once had to her. As she had stated, he was no longer an ally to her. But this, he could not help. He'd give up all ties to her if it meant having her free from Madara's grasps. He'd even be willing to kill her again if need be… It only ever sucked that he never got to explain himself to her, not that he would ever get that chance anyway. Things, as screwed up as they were, were best this way._

_This way, he guaranteed himself, his feet taking him to a place he knew to be the Haruno Compound, neither of them would get hurt again, and Itachi would be able to focus on the crucial side of things. Plus, he reasoned, at least this way, Sakura had a real shot at a bright future with a true love, someone who deserved her much more than he ever would._

_Focusing back on the scene before him, he became much more alert and attentive once entering the Haruno Compound, and finding himself located in a building across from the Haruno main household –where his mother and brother and sister –_and Sakura_, currently resided._

_He could distinctly see two figures in what seemed to be the kitchen, one he easily identified as his mother, and the other as Sasuke._

_From the window, he could see his mother washing the dishes, before she looked up, attentively almost, and made direct contact with Itachi's own gaze._

_She did not seem to exude any form of fear or anger, which greatly relieved him even though he did not show it, and he watched as Mikoto hurriedly sent Sasuke off to bed. She waited about fifteen or so minutes, until she herself retreated from the kitchen, and made her appearance several minutes later on the second floor of the compound, standing outside in the balcony where Itachi quickly appeared._

"_My boy…" Mikoto was quick to whisper to herself, rushing to his arms as she enveloped Itachi in a hug that temporarily left him as vulnerable as the day Shisui died. _The day he killed Shisui. _He easily welcomed the hug, returning it with less fervor but still with much need and care._

"_Okaa-san" Itachi greeted calmly, though on the inside he could think only one thought –he was glad Sakura had prevented him from killing his mother._

"_You are well?" she question him after their long hug was over._

"_Hn" he confirmed, releasing her from their embrace to see her. She seemed to have grown several years in the span of the ten or so months he had not seen her. She must have been exhausted every day, no doubt, worrying over Sasuke and over her unborn child, and no doubt the massacre still took its toll on her today –how would it not, when he was sure wherever she went she would certainly get pitiful looks of 'That poor thing, no husband to care for that unborn child of hers' or 'She had it all, I wonder how she'd dealing with it'._

_Nevertheless, his mother was a strong woman, and regardless of the toll all this had taken on her body, she was still as strong and beautiful as ever in his eyes._

"_I bet you wish to see her." Mikoto smiled knowingly, turning around momentarily and entering her room. A minute passed before she emerged once more, a quiet, sleeping baby with soft black tufts of hair growing wildly and messily on her head. "She's a pain to put to bed, I tell you." Mikoto whispered softly, cradling her between her arms as she approached Itachi._

_Itachi looked down in what could almost be awe, as he took in the sight before him. Pale and soft porcelain skin, smooth and white as the moon. He reached out to grab her hand in his, only to see that her hands instinctively wrapped around his own, bigger index finger._

_Just then she opened her eyes, making a small cooing sound, staring up at Itachi with sleepy but curious eyes. Itachi's eyes snapped towards Mikoto, almost as if wondering if he had done something wrong._

"_She likes meeting new people." Mikoto brushed his worry aside with a smile. "Say hello to your onii-chan, Saki-chan." Mikoto smiled endearingly as she pushed the baby onto Itachi's own hands, which he took rather nervously. He had been seven, if that, when he had held baby Sasuke in his arms –and it had been one of the happiest moments of his life._

_Now was no different, he decided, even if the situation was rather… odd. "Saki…" he repeated, almost as if questioning._

_Mikoto nodded, confirming his thoughts. "It was Sakura who made all this possible… To her we owe everything. She is the godmother."_

_And Itachi couldn't be more in agreement, he decided, looking back down at his baby sister. They stared at each other, her calm and deep black meeting his intense, blood red Sharingan gaze… She blinked, once, twice, her eyebrows furled in what could be concentration, and then without any warning, her eyes suddenly lit a bright blood red, not unlike his own. But then, they developed into something all on their own, akin to his eyes but different in complexity._

_At the sight of this, Mikoto hurriedly closed Saki's eyes with her hands, and Itachi could feel her pump a pulse of chakra into her eyes._

_Frankly, Itachi could say he was more than a little astonished, looking up to Mikoto for an explanation._

"_We weren't entirely sure…" Mikoto began… "All we know is that, shortly after delivery, her eyes turned red and she acquired the Mangekyou Sharingan…" Mikoto was quiet for a moment, watching as Saki reopened her eyes, her pupils back to a nice black color. "Sakura theorized that the traumatic experiences and emotions that I felt during the… _that day,_" Mikoto changed her word choice, "was enough to somehow trigger the Sharingan in Saki. Since she was in my uterus and was still connected to me, my emotions somehow triggered Saki's own sadness and it was enough for her to develop her eyes, somehow…" Mikoto explained._

_It sort of made sense to Itachi, and he bitterly acknowledged that for the Mangekyou to fully awaken, Mikoto had to, in part, feel responsible for the death of a loved one or a best friend. Perhaps this small guilt was enough to trigger a catalyst that, even if not enough to awaken her own, was enough to trigger a sadness so great for a yet unborn child that its eyes developed on their own without the knowledge of the wielder, in this case Saki._

"_Because Saki's chakra reserves are so small right now, she can usually only keep her eyes activated for a few seconds at a time, tops a minute, but it becomes rather dangerous for her to show them in public, which is why she usually stays within the confines of the Haruno Compound until she is at the age in which she can learn to control it. Sakura said that Kakashi Hatake-san would be a great teacher for both Sasuke-kun and Saki-chan in the future. She also taught me a way to forcefully have her deactivate the Sharingan if it wasn't deactivating on its own" Mikoto explained._

_Once more, Itachi could not help but acknowledge how well Sakura had planned this entire ordeal –from the massacre, up until Mikoto's labor and even down to the upbringing of her child. No wonder she was the godmother._

"_And… Sakura…?" Itachi questioned, almost hesitantly as his gaze met his mothers. At the mention of her name, Mikoto's eyebrows furled and concern filled her features. _

"_I don't really know how to tell you this Itachi, but… she's gone…"_

* * *

"_Mikoto, I'm going to have to leave soon…"_

_Sakura was standing before Mikoto as she held on to her newborn child, still in the hospital bed. Her child was just downright perfect, as healthy as can be, although she was a bit small._

"_I know… It's only a matter of time." Mikoto looked up momentarily to smile at Sakura. "I want you to be the godmother." She changed the subject._

"_Mikoto, I can't possibly-" Mikoto cut her off._

"_Sakura, all of this has only been possible because of you. I trust no one more than I trust you to ensure the future safety of my children. I know that putting my trust in you leaves my children in good hands." Mikoto explained._

_Sakura did not speak for a while. "I cannot protect her once I leave… it'll be eleven years down the road before I regain my memories and my present time is resumed."_

"_Then I will wait those eleven years for your return. You have not left me defenseless, Sakura." Mikoto smiled warmly._

"_That's right, Sakura-chan!" Sakura snapped her gaze to the right, where she could clearly see Himawari and Marika sitting down on nearby chairs. "You have nothing to fear with Marika-chan and Hiroto-niisan here to protect Mikoto and Saki-chan!" Himawari explained with genuine excitement._

_Sakura smiled slightly, but her displeasure was still seen. "I wish I didn't have to drag you guys into this and force you to do my bidding." Her smile soon turned into a frown._

"_Sakura," Marika shook her head in denial, "you are our heir. We live to serve and follow you without any doubt. We put our faith in you blindly because we know that you have our best interests at heart. You have reunited us with Konoha, and with this, bit by bit, not only will the Haruno Clan, but the Uchiha clan as well, will return to their former glory." Marika smiled. _

_Sakura felt relieved at Marika's comforting words, as she turned her gaze back on Mikoto, who was smiling back at Sakura._

"_And just as they have put their faith in you, I have done the same Sakura." Mikoto summed up._

"_I won't let you down, Mikoto"_

* * *

"_Before I leave, there is something I must warn you about." Sakura explained, sitting alone in a dark room with Mikoto._

"_There will come a time, maybe not soon, but definitely within the year, that Itachi will come. Remember, he is not your enemy Mikoto… I plead that you keep an open mind." Sakura tried smiling tentatively._

"_Nor is he your enemy, Sakura," Mikoto rest her hand upon Sakura's in an attempt to comfort her._

"_Mikoto, he tried to kill me… whatever the reason is, I simply cannot turn my back on that…" Sakura frowned. "If… if he comes, and if he asks of me, tell him nothing of me. Tell him I am gone, and it is as simple as that. It is better he think me dead, rather that attempt to kill me again, or worse."_

"_But surely he must have had a reason-"_

"_Please Mikoto… as of now, it is best he not know of my true identity… Kami forgive what may happen if he finds out I essentially came from the future to trick him." Sakura frowned._

_Mikoto did not respond for several seconds, but gave her response seconds afterwards anyway. "You have my word." She confirmed._

_Because even if she didn't completely agree, she could not deny Sakura of this wish._

* * *

_She was gone. Mikoto could say no more than that –she didn't need to, frankly. Itachi understood what she meant, at least in the pretext that Sakura had wished it for._

_He pressed no further –he had no reason to. It's not like he had lost her or anything –she had already been lost before. Hell, it wasn't like he had her to begin with, he tried to convince himself bitterly._

"_I should go." He merely stated in the darkness, handing Mikoto back the child._

"_Will I see you again?" Mikoto questioned him as he turned around, unable to see the hurt in his eyes._

"_It's best we don't."_

_There was an empty silence as Mikoto seized up the situation. After this, no longer would she see her boy. After this, he would once again be an enemy of the Leaf, and an enemy to her, at least until the time that Sakura returns to her time. "…I'm very proud of you, Itachi-kun… You've been so brave." She offered her comfort, which Itachi took in with silence._

"_Hn."_

_And then he was gone._

_Mikoto knew that it would be a very long time before she saw her son again, but she didn't know that his entire childhood, or what was left of it, would be gone in a flash, and that the next time she saw him, he would be a full-fledged adult, no longer her young and cute Itachi-kun._

* * *

"_Marika-neesan… I have a task for you." Sakura began._

"_Anything Sakura-chan."_

"_It's about Shisui Uchiha…"_

"_Shisui…" A small blush grazed her features, recalling her one and only interaction with the elder Uchiha. "Yes, I remember him, but what does he have to do with anything?" she questioned, suppressing her blush._

"_Well…"_

* * *

"_Squad 13, Saki Uchiha, Tobito Inuzuka, Seiji Hyuga."_

_Saki stood and walked towards the front of the classroom, where she met her new teammates, now officially branded –proudly, might I add, with a Genin headband. She was two years younger than all of her classmates, having excelled to the point that she was able to graduate early (of course, this was thanks to her Sharingan, but even then her skill shown behind it all)._

_Her teammate, Seiji Hyuuga as she recalled, gave her a small nod of acknowledgement while the Inuzuka gave her a sloppy grin. "I just knew we were going to be on the same team Saki!" Tobito exclaimed loudly._

"_You can thank the fact that you're at the bottom of the class." The Hyuga snorted quietly._

"_What'd you say?!" Tobito growled._

_Saki, attempting to defuse the situation, ignored both their antics. "Do you guys know who our sensei is?"_

"_No idea!" Tobito replied quickly, putting his attention back on Saki._

"_I heard they were still debating on it. They really wanted Hatake Kakashi, part of Team 7." The Hyuga began._

"_Sasuke-nii's team." Saki nodded in confirmation._

"_Yes, but he refuses to leave his team yet, despite the fact that they are all about to turn eighteen now and technically don't need a sensei." Seiji continued._

"_Such a shame. Seeing the Sharingan in action would have been super cool, nee, Saki-chan?" Tobito nudged Saki lightly._

"…_Hn" Saki ignored Tobito. She had truly expected Kakashi to become their new sensei, had even hoped for it, believing that with him by her side she could master the Sharingan quicker. But if he wasn't their sensei, then who could possibly-_

"_Sorry I'm late kiddos!" The door to the classroom suddenly swung open. All eyes turned towards the door as they examined their new sensei. He was relatively young, compared to all the other sensei, with jet black hair and ridiculous hot pink eyes._

"_Hiroto-senpai?!" Saki's eyes widened slightly as she looked him up and down, confirming that it was in fact Hiroto Haruno, the man who had baby sat her and taken care of her since as long as she could remember. Hell, he had taught her, alongside Sasuke, how to catch and throw kunai, and what the basic ninja techniques were (this had been a prime reason, alongside her naturally honed abilities and skills, that she was able to skip two grades in the academy and graduate early)._

"_It's Hiroto-sensei now Saki." He winked as he approached them, placing a soft hand on her head as he ruffled her straight black locks._

"_Why didn't you tell me sooner that you would be my sensei?" she questioned._

_Hiroto let out a leisurely shrug as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "It hadn't been decided until just a few hours ago, to be truthful."_

_Before Saki could continue their conversation, Seiji Hyuga scoffed, as if unused to such insolence –for Kami's sake, he was from the main branch of the highly-esteemed Hyuga Clan, and their sensei hadn't even given him –or the Inuzuka for that matter- a second thought._

"_Ahh, yes," Hiroto looked from Saki to the two slightly older males. "Seiji Hyuga and Tobito Inuzuka, correct?" he pointed at each of them respectively._

_At the mention of their names, they each gave a curt nod._

_Hiroto examined them for several seconds, the Hyuga returning his gaze level-headedly while the Inuzuka tried his best to not squirm under his gaze. Until just a few seconds ago, the Inuzuka was casually leaning on one of the desks, almost as if bored, whereas the Hyuga was looking at him with a small twitch in his eyes, almost as if annoyed and thinking _'And I need to be seen around this dog-breathed idiot'._ Hiroto cracked a grin. "Welcome to Squad 13." This wouldn't be all that bad, he decided. Hell, it would sure beat having watch duty at the post three times a week._

* * *

_Marika looked around. This __**looked**__ like the right place, she supposed. Unfortunately, she couldn't exactly ask for directions, for that would bring on unwanted attention and she didn't want to scare off the poor guy, if what Sakura had told her was true._

'_Alright Marika, she said it's a dark green little thing with a tiny flower pot by the window sill, you can do this.'_

_Surprisingly, it had been easier to find said little cottage than she had expected. Then again, the village wasn't exactly the biggest, and there had only been a handful of dark green houses. She found the flower pot, and with very little effort, fished out a key from somewhere within the soil._

"You will enter the home, don't worry, only Shisui and I know where the key is located, and you will greet him and explain to him what has occurred, and what I tell you now."

_And so she wiggled they key into the key hole, satisfied when a little 'click' unlocked the door and she entered it warily. "H-Hello?" she peered through the door, entering hesitantly. She couldn't hear anyone inside, and it felt like she was breaking in. "S-Sorry for intruding! I come under Sakura's orders…!"_

_But she soon found the cottage to be completely empty. _

_Was this normal?_

_Marika supposed she would wait a while before deeming this hopeless –where else would Shisui be anyhow? He was probably out grocery shopping or something; that had to be it. So she found what was meant to be the living room of the area, identifiable only by the low square table centered around the room, and two small cushions placed across from each other. Naturally, she sat herself on one of them and waited patiently, noticing how he hadn't even bothered completing the set and getting four cushions instead of two. This meant he never planned on having visitors, and this place… this __**hideout **__of sorts was strictly meant for meeting with Sakura and nothing else. Putting this thought in the back of her head, she gave a small sigh as she looked around the room, bored, waiting for Shisui to return._

_Which, apparently didn't have to be very long, because right around the fifth minute of waiting, she suddenly found her back against the bamboo floor boards, a man hovering above her, and a kunai pressed to her throat._

_Irritatingly, Marika couldn't help but think that Sakura had not warned her that Shisui would be a paranoid arse. But that thought was tucked to the deepest and furthest recesses of her mind as she began to panic, Shisui pinching the kunai close enough to her neck to draw blood._

"_Who are you?" he spat venom, whispering quietly in her ear, his lips so close she could feel them on her ear. Heat quickly rose to her cheeks and the next second, with or without her willing them to, small jasmine buds sprouted from alongside her and forced Shisui off of her, momentarily catching him off guard because -holy crap there were flowers growing out of his house and he hadn't even sensed her activate a jutsu, enough for her to get a distance away from him. Momentarily paralyzed by the jasmine buds that rendered him motionless, he watched in what could almost be confusion as Marika promptly sat down and bowed to him._

"_S-Sorry for entering when you weren't even here!" Shisui blinked, once, twice. "Sakura told me it'd be okay and that you'd remember me, so it wouldn't be a problem." She looked back up to him, noticing that at the mention of Sakura, all tense muscles and looks of uneasiness went away._

"_Sakura sent you?" By this point, deeming him no longer a hazard to her life, Marika released the jasmine buds that were holding him captive._

"_H-Hai." Marika nodded. "I'm her older sister. We met before… once, in the compound, before your supposed death…" she commented a little quietly, her cheeks growing a faint pink. How could he not remember her when he had said such… crude things to her? _

_And so Shisui sat across the table from her, an elbow propped up on the table as he rested his chin on his hand, looking at her with a scrutinizing gaze. "Oh that's right!" he snapped his fingers in revelation. "You were the one wearing that cute little night gown!"_

_Marika quickly blushed and looked down in embarrassment. So he __**did **__remember, that pervert!_

_Shisui grinned a typical grin that was so characteristic of him a year or two ago, it almost surprised him how easily she had been able to bring out such a reaction from him when he hadn't dared have fun in such a long time._

"_Well Marika-chan, welcome to my humble abode, what can I do for you?"_

* * *

"_Orochimaru-sama, I have received word that the Haruno bunch no longer reside amongst the waterfall. They have taken refuge in Konoha once more."_

_Orochimaru frowned distastefully. As soon as he decided that he wanted to experiment with them, they decide to go where he could not reach them. Just great. That Haruno… whoever she had been, heir or not, had finely refined skills –skills he wanted. And meeting her –battling with her, had given him such a thrill and such a thirst for knowledge that he knew, children or not, one of them among the bunch had to be worth something. He needed to find the heir… she would be the answer to all his problems._

"_What else?" he spoke after his long thought._

"_It has been confirmed, the only survivors to the Uchiha Massacre are Sasuke Uchiha and Mikoto Uchiha. Word has it that the only reason that Mikoto survived was because of that Haruno's intervention." Kabuto spoke her name with such venom it could have almost been amusing how jealous he was._

"_Interesting." He nodded, noting that she must have had a confrontation with Itachi Uchiha –and she had survived, which was something worth noticing in the long run._

"_And I am also under suspicions that Mikoto may be with child."_

"_Oh?" Orochimaru spoke, finally intrigued with the conversation. _

"_I was too far to be able to confirm, and she has been hiding it very well, but it seems to me that she is a few months in."_

"_And what makes you say that?" Orochimaru questioned. He didn't know much about pregnancy, but he knew that women didn't start showing until later on._

"_She's been acting rather peculiar from what I could tell." Kabuto merely explained. "My theory will be confirmed in a few months, I suppose. She can't hide it forever." Orochimaru nodded in agreement. "I believe that if you seek the Sharingan eyes, that perhaps the best opportunity would be to-"_

"_The Sharingan is no longer of interest to me." Orochimaru silenced him. "I want that heir to Haruno Clan, and I want her Flower Eye."_

* * *

_"Did you hear?! There are a group of Harunos' approaching the village!"_

_"What? No way! I thought they were all wiped out."_

_"Apparently they were hiding, in fear of threats to the Village."_

_"They're being escorted back now by Hatake Kakashi, so I've heard."_

_Sakura hesitantly but quickly walked, her little feet carrying her as fast as they could, her heart thumping in her little body. No. It couldn't be. She had watched them all perish; watched them all die right in front of her, every last one of them. It wouldn't be fair to get her hopes up; not now, when she was slowly starting to come to terms with reality. When she was beginning to think she could move on. Her heart would break, she was sure, if this had somehow just been a sham. But everyone was saying it; hell, even the Hokage had confirmed it, right in front of her. There was no way this couldn't be real._

_"Whoa there my child, we're all eager to see them, slow down. This old man can't keep up with you little ones anymore."_

_Sakura turned around with a pout. "Hurry up ji-chan! They'll be hear any minute now!"_

_And even though all the villagers and shinobi alike had carved a straight path for the Hokage, being pulled by the hand by Sakura, he walked with much patience and ease up to the front gates. Upon his arrival, just around the horizon, six black figures could clearly be seen walking towards the gates, and the tension in the air was enough for Sakura to hide herself behind the Hokage's cloak. _

_This was the moment of truth._

_Closer and closer they came, but Sakura still had her eyes shut, hiding behind the Hokage, gripping his cloak in fear that she wouldn't recognize a single one of the people that would soon be entering the village._

_"For someone who was so excited, you seem to not want to watch their approach." The Hokage smiled warmly, all too aware of the emotions she was probably feeling._

_"What if they don't recognize me or they don't want to be a family again?"_

_The Hokage chuckled, knowing that Sakura had absolutely nothing to worry about._

_"Here they come! Look, I can see Kakashi Hatake's figure from here!" A random villager called out._

_And soon enough they were upon the entrance, the Hokage standing proudly and humbly. "The village of Konoha welcomes you all most humbly, Haruno-san."_

_"We are thankful to be welcomed with such open arms, Hokage-sama."_

_Sakura's eyes snapped wide open. She recognized that voice -she knew it well, in fact. She didn't even need confirmation, suddenly brave enough to peer past the Hokage's cloak and stare at the six people before her. There was Kakashi, the ninja that escorted them there, and then..._

_And then was Hiroto, and Marika and Himawari, and happiness flooded her soul._

_She hurriedly ran past the Hokage, a flurry of emotions running through her body. "Hiroto-nii! Marika-neechan! Himawari-chan!" She couldn't stop the tears that were flowing from her eyes, nor did she think she even wanted to. She hadn't been this happy since... well, she couldn't quite remember the last time she felt so elated, but she knew that the feeling she felt now would be incomparable to anything she would ever experience for the rest of her life._

_She had family._

_And she didn't care that people were staring at her, or that they were murmuring things like "Who is she?" or "Is she another Haruno?", because she was being enveloped by a warm hug, a hug from Hiroto, and a hug from her family._

_"Sakura-chan." Hiroto smiled warmly at her, kneeling down to welcome her hug._

_It could have been seconds, it could have been hours, he wasn't entirely sure. But after some time, Sakura looked up at him, tears still in her eyes, but her smile as warm and bright as ever. "Welcome home."_

* * *

Sakura didn't know what it was that she should expect. Would she even be able to go back to her own timeline? She didn't know, but she had to try. As much as she had grown to love Mikoto and little Sasuke and even Saki, her goddaughter, she simply did not belong in this timeline. She wanted her friends. She wanted Ino, and she wanted Naruto, and hell, she wanted Tsunade and she even missed stupid Neji and his one-syllabled responses.

Sakura once again found herself in an all-white expanse, one which she had grown familiar with since her experiences with time-travel. "Matsuro-sama." She declared loudly, calling out to her God.

Sakura was not disappointed, as a few seconds later, Matsuro emerged, seemingly out of nowhere. "Sakura." She greeted with a small smile.

"It's time that I go back." Sakura began. "I have done all I can here, and I must see what I have been able to change with my efforts."

"Yes." Matsuro agreed. "And I can make this happen, but there is a bit of a complication…"

Sakura raised an eyebrow curiously. "Complication?" she questioned.

"Nothing too serious. The problem is, I cannot just throw you back to your present time. It is easy to bring someone back, not so much to bring them forward, especially not after things have changed drastically." Matsuro explained.

Sakura nodded. "So what happens now?" she questioned.

"You will remain here, part of a different dimension all together. Time does not flow here, so you will not age, but you must wait as the past catches up to your present. Unfortunately, it will take a while… Not as long as you'd expect, but it will take time."

"That's fine." Sakura nodded. This was not a big sacrifice at all. Sure, boredom was bound to ensue, but at least she had time to unravel her thoughts and see how the world she had lived in would now be changed because of her. "I'm ready to start whenever you are, Matsuro-sama." Sakura nodded.

"Very well… you'll feel a bit dizzy, for I must absorb some of your chakra for this." With a nod of confirmation, Sakura braced herself as she began feeling her chakra slowly being sapped from her body.

Only time would tell what she had accomplished in the past.

**End of Chapter (Prologue)**

**So the point of this chapter was to show you guys little snippets of what Sakura had changed due to her staying in the past, as well as some things that are crucial to know for the plot development later on. Note that this chapter will not contain all of the flashbacks –they will be brought up from chapter to chapter, depending on whether I deem them necessary to contribute to the development of the plot, or of its characters. But overall, I will try to not make so many flashbacks, for they tend to kind of throw off the flow of the story/chapter.**

**Questions? Concerns? Comments? Critiques? **

**Leave em all here! Any and all reviews are much appreciated!**

**P.S. I know this chapter was significantly shorter than what my average chapter was, but do not fear, this was done so because it is a PROLOGUE, and the chapters from here on out will be averaging 8-10 thousand words.**

**That is all!**

**-MarzSpy**


	2. And Time Goes On

**Hey! I'm back with the new chapter! The feedback and support for the sequel was slightly over-whelming, so here's a new chapter, a smidge longer than usual to make up for the short prologue last chapter ^.^ **

**More A/N after the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form.**

**Chapter 2: And Times Goes On**

'_**-kura…'**_

'_**Sakura, wake up…'**_

'…_**Sakura!'**_

Sakura abruptly opened her eyes, her senses as alert as ever, her eyes already searching for any possible danger that she could be in, no thanks to her shinobi training, and perhaps also the perilous situations she had constantly been put through while in the past.

Wait a second, where was she?

Sakura looked around. Lush green forests, mossy boulders, high trees and visible Hokage Mountains from a distance. She looked at them reminiscently, almost looking out in awe at the sheer size of the rock structures. The face of the first, second and third getting a bit worn, the Yondaime, Minato, looking on proudly at his village, and alongside him the Godaime, their very own Slug Princess Tsunade…

..._  
_

'_Tsunade?!' _Sakura couldn't help but break out in glee, a wide grin appearing on her face almost immediately, figuring out what this meant. She had done it.

Sakura got up quickly, examining her physique. No longer was she in the body of a thirteen year old. She was now eighteen, and _'Kami I have my boobs back!' _she held back a squeal. No, not because she really loved her boobs or anything, but because she really, _really _loved being back in her own timeline, and she loved being her own age, and she loved the thought of finally being around people that she had known since childhood.

'_**I am glad that you are excited about being back Sakura.' **_She could hear Matsuro's inner musings. But she didn't care if Matsuro was teasing her or making fun of her for acting so childishly –she was home. _Home. _She was home to her Naruto and her Ino-pig and her Tsunade-shishou, and hell, she even missed Kakashi-sensei –_her sensei. Not her teammate. And Sasuke. 'Sasuke would be here too', _she remembered, and it made her all the more anxious to go back home and not just see how things had developed, but to _live it_.

She was ready to take back her life.

'_**Before you get too excited about rushing back home, I would like you to take into account how long you've been away.'**_Matsuro's reminder snapped Sakura back to reality for the slightest of moments, knowing fully well that in this timeline, she had not spent nearly a year and a half being away.

'_Oh that's right…' _Sakura frowned slightly. She knew the future, her present, would keep spinning while she was away, but she knew this to be a small sacrifice compared to everything she had gained in the past. Knowledge, skill, friendships, the list went on. _'How long have I been gone?' _Sakura questioned.

'_**You are have been gone four mounts, nearing your fifth month gone, Sakura.'**_

For having stayed over a year in the past, she supposed that this hadn't been so bad, but she was eager to finally get back to her friends, and so with that thought in mind, she took off to the place that she knew to be home in speeds she hadn't bothered running in in a long time.

* * *

"SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSUKKKKKKKKKEEEEEEEEEEEEE-TEEEEMEEEE!"

Before Sasuke had any time to even _try_ to avoid the loud and obnoxious blonde, he was storming through his house, barging through the front door and running towards his current location in the dining room as if he owned the place (which he didn't -Sakura did).

"You're awful loud this morning Naruto-kun."

"Ohayo Mikoto-kaasan!" Naruto greeted fairly quickly with a bow upon his arrival to the dining room, before he returned his attention back on Sasuke without much thought, wrapping his arm around the boy's neck, as per usual to his annoying perks. "Sasuke!" he bellowed once more, straight into the raven-haired male's ear, much to his great chagrin.

"I am right here Naruto. No need to yell." He glared, promptly shoving the blonde away from him with as much force as he could use without having his mother reprimand him for being so tough. And here he had been, hoping to have a quiet and relaxing breakfast with his family, but nooooooo, not possible with the blonde here; hell, it was _never possible _with Naruto as a teammate, he couldn't help but think with a grimace.

"But you don't understand Sasuke-teme!" he exaggerated, extending the "teme" part, and Sasuke could swear it was only done to piss him off further, as Naruto once more clung to Sasuke's shoulder, seemingly unaffected by the Uchiha's mean actions. Sasuke couldn't help but wince as his ear was once again bombarded by Naruto's all too-loud voice. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND...!" he repeated once more, as if, by saying it twice, Sasuke would understand that the news he was about to share was better than anything Sasuke could ever hear in his entire life.

"Tch." Sasuke made a sound in the back of his throat as he, once again, shoved Naruto away from him and tried to concentrate on his breakfast.

"Oh come on Sasuke-teme, don't you want to _understand_?" he said with emphasis, a small frown on his face at the usual cold-ness of his best friend.

"I'm sure he'd understand everything he needed to if you'd just tell him what you know Naruto-kun." Mikoto gave a light laugh, never growing annoyed of Naruto's silly antics, probably because he was one of the few people that was ever able to elicit some form of emotion from her son.

Naruto nodded, pausing for a few seconds to catch his breath (he did, after all, run all the way here from the Hokage tower, all the while shouting "Sasuke-teme!", as if he'd be able to hear him all the way from the Hokage tower, before he opened his mouth widely. "Sakura-chan's back from her mission! Dattebayo!"

At the mention, Mikoto couldn't help but let her silverware slip from her hand and fall on her plate with a small clang, an act which had Sasuke raise a delicate eyebrow, but he dismissed it, being too preoccupied with the obnoxious blonde before him to question if his mother was okay. "That's good." He stated calmly, returning to his breakfast calmly.

"Please try and contain your enthusiasm." Naruto remarked sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. "We've known her for over five years now, I _know_ you're excited to have her back and you just don't want to admit it." Naruto teased with a toothy grin.

At said comment, Sasuke furled his eyebrows, a small tint of pink covering his cheeks as he punched Naruto's head. "Pfft. What would you know, Naruto no baka" He briskly got up, placing his empty plate on the sink of the kitchen, before returning back to the dining room and then heading towards the door of the household, mentally wishing that Naruto wasn't so good at reading him.

From the sidelines, Mikoto couldn't help but think how cute Sasuke's embarrassment was, but had no time to linger on such a thought, still too distracted by the mention of Sakura's arrival.

"Where are you going Sasuke-teme?" Naruto questioned, rubbing his head tenderly as he watched Sasuke's retreating figure.

"To go greet Sakura, Naruto no Baka." He didn't even look back. "I'll be back in a bit, Okaa-san."

"H-Hai… Bring Sakura with you!" Mikoto bellowed after him. "Don't think for a second that he'll wait up for you Naruto-kun." She commented, watching as Naruto just watched his retreating figure with a grin, almost as if reveling over the satisfaction he felt when proving Sasuke a total mush deep down inside.

"Right! See, I knew he had a soft spot for Sakura! Anyway, I'll see you later Mikoto-kaa!" And so Naruto was quick to run out the door he had just come in through, leaving Mikoto alone in the dining room.

"So… she's finally back…" she thought out loud to herself after a while of pondering, momentarily thinking that there _was _a reason that he had a soft spot for Sakura. It was because she reminded him so, so very much of Sakura-neechan… Little did he know that she was in fact Sakura-neechan, though. But, she supposed, it would only be a matter of time before that, as well as other things, were finally revealed to him.

Time was finally moving forward once more…

Now that Sakura was back, Mikoto could entrust the safety of her boy to her, and Sakura could plan out what the next move would be. _And what would that move be, exactly_, Mikoto couldn't help but wonder.

Well, she sincerely hoped somewhere along the lines, it meant having her son back -her other son, the older but just as precious one, that one that sacrificed everything for her and her two other children. _'Itachi-kun…'_ There had never been a day that passed that Mikoto didn't think about him, or of his bravery, and there never was a day that Mikoto wasn't worried sick over how it was that he was fairing in the cruel rogue world. There was also not a day where she wasn't constantly reminded that this was all her fault, and all Fugaku's fault, and it pushed her all the more to make sure that, at least, she could make sure Saki and Sasuke had brighter futures than Itachi had. Before Mikoto could continue her train of thought, she was snapped out of her thoughts by a sudden voice.

"Who's finally back?"

Mikoto adverted her gaze towards the entrance to the hallway.

"Sakura is." Mikoto responded with a small smile. "You should finish getting dressed so you can greet her properly when Sasuke and Naruto come back with her, Saki-chan."

"Hai Okaa-san!"

And so Saki turned around on her heel, quickly running towards her room to get dressed. _'I get to see Sakura-neesama!' _she smiled brightly. It had been too long, she was sure. Heck, even Sasuke had been quick to dismiss himself all for the sake of greeting Sakura, which was saying something, for Sasuke _never_ went out of his way to go greet people.

After having dismissed Saki, Mikoto decided that perhaps she should brew some tea, if Sakura still wished to discuss the massacre with Sasuke the very same day she came back. It had, after all, been her idea to do so.

'_Better to come straight out and say it than hold our tongues and wait until Sasuke finds out on his own and feels betrayed by not only his nation, but his family as well.' _These words, stated by Sakura eleven years ago were very, very true, but still... Mikoto's heart clenched slightly. Who's to say Sasuke wouldn't feel betrayed now? How would he take the news? Mikoto had always hoped this day would never come, but with each and every passing day, knew it was inevitable. Knew it had to be done, not just for Sasuke's sake but for Itachi's as well.

And so with this thought in mind, she headed towards the kitchen, hoping that some tea would help to ease the inevitable tension to come.

* * *

"Tsunade-shishou" Sakura bowed respectfully, staring up at a familiar face she hadn't seen in ages.

"S-Sakura!" Tsunade stuttered quickly, looking around her cluttered desk, trying her best to look a little more presentable. Instead of trying to see Sakura past her mountains of stacks of paper, she decided instead to stand up abruptly and walk around her desk, throwing her arms around the pink-haired kunoichi.

"I'm so glad… I wasn't entirely sure I'd see you return…" the embrace was a little too close to bone crushing for Sakura's comfort, but she returned it nonetheless, having missed her blonde, busty mentor more than she would ever admit.

"Neither was I…" her comment was but a whisper, but Tsunade heard it nonetheless. "But more importantly, how do you remember me…? Sending me to the past, and everything… that wouldn't have happened in this timeline…" Sakura questioned. She had actually thought this through, while in her time in Matsuro's separate dimension. If Sakura had changed some aspects of the future, would Tsunade ever have sent Sakura on a mission to the past? Furthermore, how would she remember that she did?

"Fortunately, those which knew of your mission in the past remain with their knowledge of said present and re-made present. Plus, a jutsu to protect our memories as a safeguard doesn't hurt either." Tsunade explained, withdrawing her arms from the pinkette and shuffling towards a nearby window sill, where she motioned Sakura to sit with her.

"Our?" Sakura questioned, wondering who it was that Tsunade confided in.

Sakura's question was shortly answered through the figure that ran through the door though. "Sakura!" And she was none too gently crushed by another woman, this one not as blonde nor busty.

"Shizune, you're crushing me!" Sakura tried her best not to gasp for air.

"Gomen," Shizune quickly withdrew, "It's just that, it had been so long, and since Tsunade mentioned you may never come back… well… I had a right to worry, alright?!" Shizune blushed slightly at her previous discomposure.

And before they could even continue this conversation, from a distance, they heard a quiet but definitely noticeable "SAKURA-CHAN~~!"

Tsunade sighed, aggravated at how quickly Naruto was able to sniff out Sakura's arrival -that nose of his was too keen for its own good. "Shizune, do us a favor and shut the door behind you and tell Naruto he may not, under any circumstances, come in until Sakura and I are done speaking.

"Of course Tsunade-sama." Shizune quickly bowed, gave Sakura a quick smile, and then hurriedly exited the room before Naruto could complain that if Shizune had gotten to see Sakura, then Naruto naturally had a right to do the same as her best friend and future Hokage (and future husband, he added in his head).

"I won't take too much of your time Sakura, as I'm sure you're itching to get back to your life in this timeline, but I have to ask... what happened? After you told me about the Coup and the Elders, I didn't receive a word from you. And then I come to the village after the Third's death and come to find Mikoto with a child. Of course, it wouldn't be until years later that I discover that, in our timeline, Mikoto had never been pregnant…" Tsunade began.

Sakura sat in silence for a few moments, trying to figure out where to begin. "I realized... the coup d'état was inevitable. Trying to prevent it was just a way to create a full-blown Civil War so quickly after the Shinobi World War that it would have left Konoha in ruins..." Sakura began. Tsunade nodded in understanding, and Sakura continued. "The only way to prevent it would have been to silence not just Fugaku, but the Uchiha Elders as well, and by the time Fugaku finally understood what he was doing, it was much too late..." Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat. "Regardless of whether or not the Uchiha had ceased their plans of rebelling, Danzo was dead set on their elimination, fearing that his power would be put in jeopardy due to the growing power and popularity of the Uchiha name. And... well... as for Itachi's agenda, I never could tell..." Sakura sighed slightly. "We had been teammates... Friends even, I would dare to call us… but on the day of the Massacre he attempted to take my life... he damn well would have, if not for the quick thinking of Inner; or as I had learned her to be, Kikyou."

"K-Kikyou?" Tsunade stammered –of course she had heard the legend of Kikyou, and if what Sakura was saying was true, then Itachi had truly meant to kill her.

"H-Hai... I am her reincarnation, after all... It seemed only fitting she live her life through me, it seemed... But let's put all that aside for now; it's irrelevant." Sakura shook her head, getting distracted from the original topic at hand. "Even back then, Itachi was too strong for me to over-power, but I was able to stall him long enough to not get the chance to finish off Mikoto." Sakura stated. "Although, there are some things that have been bothering me about the Uchiha Massacre..."

"And that being?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow, curious.

"Well..." And so Sakura began explaining about the masked figure that had attacked her with skills even she hadn't seen or heard of since Minato Namikaze, and said masked stranger nearly burning her to a crisp with an Amaterasu, and having her suspicions of the aforementioned being the same person in the Akatsuki now. And after everything was said and done, Tsunade had to sit there in silence as she thought this over. "I'll get Jiraiya on this immediately..."

Sakura hesitated with her words. "I fear Jiraiya might find himself overwhelmed if he tries to dig too deep..." She stared from the outskirts of the village into Tsunade's perplexed and seemingly wary eyes. "We know not of what he is capable of, but if Itachi feared him back then, there is a reason to steer clear from him until we know his true motives and intentions, and of his true identity, for that matter."

"Jiraiya knows what he's doing." Tsunade rejected the notion.

"If you're really willing to put him at risk of going up against something we don't know, by all means... If not, I say wait it out and let things unravel slowly until we have enough knowledge to know Jiraiya can handle himself."

And it was true, because if this Tobi character, true to Sakura's words, was actually a bigger threat than they could even begin to foresee, he would have even more contacts than Jiraiya did -and if he was found asking too many questions and sticking his nose where it didn't belong, it would surely mean trouble not just for him, but for the village as well, for if Tobi ever caught whiff of it, he'd know that _they _had him under suspicions, which may result in him speeding up his plans before Konoha, or any of the other villages for that matter, had enough time to prepare.

And so Tsunade closed her mouth once more and acknowledged that perhaps Sakura was the one that she should be listening to -she had, after all, just come back with a years worth of knowledge from the past under her belt. "Hai" Tsunade gave a curt nod -as much confidence as she had in Jiraiya's abilities, she simply cared too much about that pervy oaf to actually put him in harms way. "What are your plans now?" she questioned instead.

Sakura paused at this question, taking her time to think about the words she wanted to say. "Mikoto and I have discussed revealing the truth behind the massacre to Sasuke before I returned to this timeline... Even after much thought and consideration, I still believe this to be the best alternative. Itachi, regardless of his motives for killing me, is not an enemy to Konoha. I'm sure you know that now." Sakura allowed herself the briefest of pauses in order to wait for Tsunade's nod of confirmation, before continuing. "It is crucial that Sasuke know this immediately, and that we try all in our power to clear Itachi's name. It is what Mikoto would want, and I know deep down inside that Itachi would appreciate it too... It may eventually lead to him rejoining our side." Sakura explained.

"Clearing his name would be a flat out statement against the Elders, which I am sure would cause such a great commotion that civil unrest would break." Tsunade shook her head in disapproval. "If and when we clear his name, it will have to be at a later date when we have plans underway. Currently, we have much more we need to preoccupy ourselves with, primarily Akatsuki and fortifying our bonds with Suna once more before we can even think about focusing on Itachi's innocence."

**(A/N: The whole Suna thing will be explained in a later chapter, hopefully within the next two, so just keep it in mind but don't let it bother you too much. Keep in mind Sakura was able to see most of the things that went on after her time in the past, so she has a pretty good idea of what it is Tsunade is talking about)**

Sakura nodded. "I understand… but about telling Sasuke the truth...?"

Tsunade paused momentarily to think this through. "I believe that when it comes to this... Mikoto and you probably know what would be best to do. Now that we can confirm Itachi's loyalty and innocence, I have no right to deny this information from Sasuke, who as I have deemed him, is loyal to his village. And I agree that it is best he find out now from us than later when circumstances don't put us in a very good position, if it ever occurs. We have to play our cards right; it'll be the only thing that will give us an upper hand in the months that follow."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama." Sakura bowed. "I will be excusing myself for the time being, then. Telling Sasuke is first and foremost my biggest priority as of now."

Tsunade nodded, responding with a simple "Good luck", which she was sure Sakura would need if she truly planned on explaining everything to Sasuke today. "If I have any more questions, I know where to find you."

Sakura gave a curt nod as she prepared herself to leave, walking towards the door to Tsunade's office. Before Sakura even opened the door to the room, she could hear Naruto's faint howls of disapproval. With a sigh and a grin from ear to ear, Sakura gripped the door knob, twisted, and pulled.

"-It's not fair!"

"Dobe, shut up, obviously she has to report to the Hokage."

"I know you're eager to see her too Sasuke-teme!"

"Hn"

She couldn't help but sigh inwardly, wondering how long it had been since she had to suffer through one of their antics. It had easily been over five years, and just being able to see Sasuke, home, _in Konoha, _all grown up and being the Sasuke that she remembered and had once given her heart to, made her heart tighten and clench uncomfortably.

But not in a I-still-love-you sort of way, more in like a I-have-dreamed-of-having-you-home-for-so-long that-now-I-am-afraid-of-having-that-ripped-away-from-me sort of way. But hell, that didn't just apply to Sasuke. Her very own Naruto was still being targeted by the organization pursuing world domination. He was still in danger, and hell, she wasn't even sure if she had made things any better for him, despite the fact that he had been a big reason –other than Sasuke, for her going to the past.

"If you buffoons would stop fighting you'd have noticed she's already out." Shizune's comment had left three different pairs of eyes on Sakura, who just stood there awkwardly, giving them an awkward sort of half-smile.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto grinned such a goofy grin that it brought instant tears to Sakura's eyes, having relief wash over her as she instantly felt at home. Home… it's funny, because years ago, she would have never thought that Naruto always meant home for her –but he did. He was a little brother, a big brother, a teacher, a student, and a form of father figure all at once to her, and she couldn't even explain how. It probably had to do with the fact that, other than Kakashi, he had been the only male that had constantly been in her life, a controlled variable she could always depend on and look to for comfort.

"Tch. Idiot. You made her cry." Sasuke said, lazily almost, slapping Naruto's head in what could be seen as a playful manner, although Sakura could tell that he was actually irritated, call it either her intuition, or perhaps it had just been that she had spent so much time with Sasuke-chan that she already knew his quirks and perks.

Knowing it was no use trying to wipe her tears away, for they would only be replaced by other ones, she settled for running to her boys and embracing them in a bear hug. "I've missed you guys so much!"

"We missed you too Sakura-chan." Naruto grinned, returning the hug, although he looked at Sasuke questioningly. "Nee, when did Sakura-chan get so emotional?"

Sasuke, too manly and stoic to return the hug, let himself be crushed by her raw power, merely giving a small sigh, a slight flush of embarrassment appearing on his features. "Beats me."

"I feel like it's been forever." Sakura commented, her face buried somewhere in between Naruto's neck and Sasuke's own. Because in all actuality, it had. She had spent over a year and a half in the past, and who knows how long being a sitting duck while she allowed time to catch up to her. She had nearly forgotten what one of Naruto's hugs felt like, and not to mention right in front of her was Sasuke, allowing himself to be hugged by her. How could she _not _cry, feeling such overwhelming emotions? It had simply been too long.

And maybe, just maybe, Naruto and Sasuke felt the same, but they had been too embarrassed to admit it because usually Sakura would make fun of them for it. They were glad, at least, that they hadn't been the first ones to say it, or express it, for that matter.

"Okaa-san wants you to go home and greet her." Sasuke commented after what could have been a good two or three minutes of letting her cry on their shoulders, almost as if saying "stop hugging me before people see me and think they can hug me too." Because clearly, this was an act reserved to only Sakura and Saki, the only two females he had ever warmed up to or gotten remotely close to.

Giving a small laugh, Sakura released them and wiped away her tears. "H-Hai"

And as they began walking, both her boys on either side of her, as if they had been walking like this all their life (which they probably had), Sakura was hit by a thought.

Holy crap.

She lives with Sasuke-kun.

The thought, were she still fifteen and completely in love with Sasuke, would have left her with a nose bleed as she proceeded to pass out at the thought.

Now, well, she just thought it kind of strange. Then again, she supposed she quite literally had no one to blame for the way things ended for her other than herself.

Promptly after Sakura had asked for the remaining Harunos' to relocate back to Konoha, they made their living accommodations in the Haruno Clan, as was typical. But, when making such plans, they had decided that little Sakura-chan had to stay with them –or rather, it was Sakura, both of them to be exact, that urged and pushed for this living arrangement.

And because Hiroto was still too young to take care of children and Mikoto had personally taken it upon herself to care for the same person that had saved her life, along with her family, Sakura had ended up staying in the Haruno main household, along with Sasuke, Mikoto, and Marika. Hiroto, Himawari, Sayuri, and Daichi, had all taken residence at Hiroto and Himawari's old house, right down the street from where Mikoto and co. currently resided. Mikoto would make a dinner for eight each day, they would all eat and hang out there, but when night came they went back to their separate houses.

They were a tight-knit make-shift family, and ironically enough, they had become the sister clans that they had originally been made to be, helping each other out and standing alongside each other through thick and thin.

And well, apparently this tradition had not wavered over the years, seeing as everybody still lived exactly where they had before, with a few minuscule changes. Promptly after turning eighteen, Daichi and Sayuri moved out of the house with Hiroto and Himawari, deciding to share a home in the Haruno Compound still around the corner. Marika, now 24, had also moved out and now rented her own apartment outside of the compound, but still came around every day for company and food, and even slept there from time to time; she still had a room filled with clothes and the like, but wanting to feel a little more independent, also got her own pad.

Hiroto, now an old bag at 27, remained in the same house down the street from Sakura alongside Himawari, who, from what Sakura could recall from watching the changing times, had been thinking about moving out as well just for the hell of it.

Letting Sakura's thoughts run a muck, she didn't even notice it when they had entered the Haruno Compound, and she noted with much glee, that the estate was prospering nicely since she had last left it. Maybe all it had ever really needed was a bit more of the Haruno touch –and with Sayuri, Marika, Himawari and herself staying at the compound, the plants and trees naturally began prospering too, although they could probably afford to lay off the dependency on their kekkai genkai and plant some variety, seeing as most of everything spotted was lilies and Sakura trees and sunflowers and jasmines.

"Where's Hiroto at?" Sakura questioned, deciding that perhaps she should sit down with her clan and organize her thoughts, now that they were all once more united, under the same Konoha insignia, and that she was finally caught up to date with the events of the past.

"I'm pretty sure he's training his team right now. Minus Saki-chan, of course." Naruto explained.

"Huh?" Sakura questioned.

"They're practicing walking on water. Saki learned that two years ago." Sasuke merely elaborated, not hiding the pride that leaked from his voice at the mention.

Sakura laughed, loving the way Sasuke's character had developed. Although he was still stoic and didn't care too much for formalities, he was definitely a lot more social and had even developed an aniki rivalry with Hiroto, because he refused to believe that Hiroto was teaching Saki more than Sasuke was; it had become a regular battle between the two, actually, seeing who was teaching Saki the most –her extremely skilled and uber cool older brother, or the old fart Hiroto (as Sasuke liked to see them as, anyway). "So Saki is home right now, then?"

"Hai. Marika is currently on a mission, and Himawari is having lessons with Tsunade, I do believe, if you were wondering Sakura-chan." Naruto yawned slightly, placing his hands over his head.

"Oh… I see." Sakura nodded in confirmation, suddenly becoming extremely self-conscious as the Haruno main household became in sight, just a block away. _'It's now or never Sakura.' _She frowned distastefully, something Sasuke didn't fail to notice, but he decided not to question her for now.

* * *

"Okaa-san we're home!" Sasuke shouted upon their entrance to the house.

"I'm in the living room!" Mikoto called back from her location in the house, finishing the last touches of the tea that she had just served.

Team 7 took off their shoes and approached said living room, where they saw Saki and Mikoto lounging around the tatami mats, Mikoto patiently sipping her tea while Saki lay flat on her back, impatiently waiting for Sakura's return. Upon seeing Sakura's figure, of course upside down from her location, she grinned and hurriedly got on her feet. "Sakura-oneesama!" she greeted, lunging towards the pinkette with such force that Sakura had almost been taken down with her.

Sakura laughed gingerly, not missing the way Sasuke's eye twitched irritably (Why wasn't _he_ ever acknowledged as Sasuke-oniisama? It wasn't fair… And just because he couldn't destroy mountains with his fists didn't mean he wasn't equally as cool as Sakura, but whatever… Pffft. Sakura was lame compared to him, he decided childishly).

"You sure have grown Saki-chan." Sakura smiled.

"You've only been gone for four months Sakura." Saki laughed.

"Yeah well, it seems like just yesterday that I was holding you when you were but a baby." Sakura grinned, and only her and Mikoto actually understood that it probably was quite literally yesterday for Sakura, as far as time jump goes.

"Saki, sit down, so we can all catch up properly." Mikoto said, and with a small sigh, Saki complied to the wishes of her mother as they all settled down around the low table, tea placed in front of each of them.

"How was your mission Sakura-chan?" Naruto questioned with relative ease.

"It was… umm… eventful." Sakura didn't really know how else to describe it.

"Did ya make any friends?" Saki questioned eagerly.

Sakura laughed. "Quite a handful, actually… They were a lot like Naruto and Sasuke."

"Pffft. No one can be as cool as me." Naruto proclaimed loudly.

"I highly doubt that." Sasuke scoffed slightly. Although he wasn't one for conversation, he never turned down a chance to insult Naruto.

Naruto, opting to ignore Sasuke, knowing that Mikoto would castrate him if he broke anything, decided to speak once more. "Why did your mission take so long anyway Sakura-chan?"

"I uhh…" Sakura hesitated for several seconds.

"She can't give you details about her mission, you know that Naruto." Mikoto cut in after noticing Sakura was hesitating.

"Yeah, but still." Naruto pouted slightly. His best friend was gone for nearly five months –he had a right to know why.

"Well, we all missed you very much Sakura." Mikoto smiled a bright smile at her.

"I missed you all as well." Sakura admitted, returning the smile.

And then an awkward silence erupted, Naruto, Sasuke and Saki expecting Sakura and Mikoto to go at it in their usual weird and bubbly conversations like usual, but for once both were oddly quiet and hesitant to speak.

And as if on queue, Mikoto and Sakura looked at each other, hesitantly almost, and squirmed under the gazes of Naruto and Saki, and in particular Sasuke.

"Nee, Naruto, would you mind taking Saki and showing her something outside for a while?" Mikoto began. "There's… something we need to discuss with Sasuke-kun…" she began.

Although Naruto was curious, he had learned to never question Mikoto, his make-shift mother, and nodded. "Alright, let's go Saki-chan! Let's teach you the rasengan!" he exclaimed proudly. He had been the only one who had yet to teach Saki a signature technique of theirs, Sakura having long taught her the basics of medical nin-jutsu and the principles to her chakra control, key to her inhuman strength, and clearly Sasuke had already gone through extensive (and successful) efforts to teach her the chidori.

"Teach her that and die." Sasuke quickly added without hesitating, although deep down inside highly curious and suspicious about what Sakura and his mother had to talk to him about –and why did it seem like it had already been planned ahead of time? Mikoto was terrible about keeping things from him, so for her to keep silent about this for over four months was slightly amazing to him.

Saki laughed, taking the hand that was offered to her by Naruto, curiously looking back. "Do you think they're making marriage arrangements Naruto-nii?"

Had Sasuke been drinking his tea he might as well have chocked on it. He settled for a twitch of his eye, a small blush slowly creeping on to his face.

"No Saki-chan, Sasuke-teme here is what one calls 'gay'. Besides, _I'm _going to marry Sakura-chan" And as soon as the words came out of his mouth, Sasuke had already pulled out a kunai, ready to aim for Naruto's head, but a dangerous spark in both Sakura and Mikoto's eyes screaming _'IF YOU DARE THROW THAT IN MY HOUSE' _had him immobilized before he could even blink once more. Kami, his mother and Sakura were so alike it scared him.

With an evil grin, Naruto snickered, turned around once more, and began walking off.

Sasuke allowed a sigh to leave his mouth as he looked around, ticked off. "Well?" He wasn't one to sit down and beat around the bush. If there was something that they needed to tell him, regardless of what it was, then they should just come right out and say it. Weren't things better than way anyway?

"Sasuke-kun, I'm sure you're going to have very many questions about what we're going to tell you…" Mikoto began slowly.

"I am relieved of my shinobi duties for the day, Okaa-san." He stated, as if assuring them that he had all the time in the world.

With a nod, Mikoto looked at Sakura. "Where do we begin?"

Sasuke raised a delicate eyebrow, unsure as to why Mikoto, for once, looked stumped and was looking to Sakura for advice. "Well, for starters Sasuke, if you call me, or Mikoto, for that matter, crazy, I am going to wring your neck _so fast._" Sakura emphasized. "You got that?"

Sasuke nodded, noting that the threat in Sakura's words were _extremely_ real, and that Sakura never threatened Sasuke like this unless she were being completely serious.

"Sasuke-kun..." Mikoto suddenly began, "you remember Sakura-oneechan, right?" Mikoto questioned tentatively, knowing that Sakura-oneechan had always been a very sensitive subject for him.

At the words, Sasuke's mood immediately darkened, something neither Mikoto nor Sakura failed to noticed. Sakura-oneechan, now that was a name he was quite familiar with; yes, he knew all about his Sakura-oneechan. The one who had saved him and his mother and his little sister. The one who had been on a team with _him _and had even lived under their roof for a long period of time. The one who suddenly disappeared without a trace, leaving Sasuke heart broken and terrified for not just him, but his family as well. Because Sakura-oneechan had been the only person who he had ever trusted completely, other than _him, _who hadn't let Sasuke down. The word around Konoha had been that she had died, but no proper memorial could ever be made for her because no body or corpse had ever been found. And slowly but surely, everyone began to forget about Sakura-oneechan, but not him, because he could never forget the second chance at life and the much needed wake-up call she had given him. "Hai… I remember Sakura-neechan…" the words sounded bitter and distasteful to him.

"Well… what if I told you that she was alive?" Sakura spoke up this time, and Sasuke looked at Sakura irritably. What would she know? She hadn't really been around at all to see her. She was seven or eight back when the Haruno Clan returned, same as him, but she had probably spent about a week under the same roof as Sakura-neechan before she had disappeared. But then she spoke once more, one simple sentence, "I never took you out for your congratulation ice cream, Sasuke-chan", and he completely lost it.

There was no way. _No..._

He could remember the days when he was thirteen, feeling like he was unstoppable when he was finally placed under his first Genin team, alongside Naruto and Sakura, and he couldn't look at Sakura straight in the face for nearly six months, not during practice, not on the field, not even at home, just because every time he did, he was rudely reminded of the fact that Sakura and Sakura-neechan looked _identical, _and he tried to convince himself, over and over in fact, that they were just clan resemblances, but it always hurt anyway. And after he got over this initial shock, he realized that, not only did they look the same, but they also had similar ways of acting as well. In fact, it was so great, that Sasuke suddenly became extremely protective of Sakura, as if, in this way, he could somehow repay Sakura-neechan for everything she had done for him and Okaa-san, and that somehow, he was a help to her, rather than just a burden, because the fear that Sakura-neechan had left them because he was too much of a burden had always been a fear he had never been able to shake.

And now here Sakura was, just...

"But how..." He couldn't even finish his sentence, too lost to even know where he was going with it. But if there was one thing he knew for certain, it was that there was _no way _Sakura could know about that ice cream, _she wasn't even there, _and not even Mikoto had known about the whole thing. So how...?

"Four months ago, I was assigned an S-Class mission, Sasuke-kun..." Sakura began, "I was assigned to... travel to the past and stop the Uchiha Massacre. Wishing primarily for Naruto's protection and a better future for you, I accepted."

Another surge of electricity ran through his body and he was left gripping his hands into fists as memories, memories he had tried so hard to block, to forget, and to erase from existence, were suddenly brought up again, all in a flurry that left him much too vulnerable for comfort.

"Unfortunately," Sakura continued, and Sasuke had no choice but to continue listening, "Tsunade-shishou sent me without much of a clue about the state of the political balance in Konoha at the time, not that she could have had any idea of what things were like there anyway, having been away from the village for so long." Sakura stated, wishing so desperately they didn't have to do this to Sasuke, but knowing that it _had _to be done.

It was Mikoto who spoke this time. "As you know, there are, or at least were, three main, prominent clans with influence and power here in Konoha; the Haruno, the Uchiha, and the Hyuga. Well, back then, the Uchiha's over-growing fame due to the Shinobi World War began to get to our heads, and we began to seek more prestige and influence over Konoha. The Hyuga, as well as the other smaller clans, such as the Inuzuku, Yamanaka, or the Nara were overwhelmingly not in favor, knowing that the Uchiha had a knack for acting selfishly and wantonly when given the opportunity to play with power. Yet, the Haruno, our sister clan, was also greatly against the Uchiha rising to power, and they were enough of a threat for the Uchiha to be submissive... that is, until Kirigakure all but wiped them out..."

Piece by piece, Sasuke was slowly beginning to understand this, but overall not getting where they were going with it.

"It took me several months before I finally understood things in Konoha," Sakura began. "And little by little, I began to discover the plot of the Uchiha to overthrow the Hokage and become the ultimate leaders..." Sasuke's eyes widened at Sakura's sudden revelation, but she did not stop there. "The third Hokage had wished for a peaceful resolve to the ever-growing tensions between the clans initially, but the Konoha Elders had other plans. They began to undermine the authority of the Uchiha and began to openly show distrust towards them, especially after the Kyuubi attack, which eventually extended to the other clans, and other shinobi and even villagers doing the same. Despite wanting more power, they had, up until things had gotten too serious, just wanted the recognition that they rightfully deserved. The elders ultimately pushed them over the edge until, eventually, they wished to retaliate with a coup d'état."

"Fugaku-kun..." Mikoto swallowed the lump in her throat as she said his name, "was the leader of the revolt, and he planned to use Itachi," she paused momentarily, noticing how Sasuke visibly got angrier at the mention of his name, "as the centerpiece to unfurl his plans. Itachi, recently admitted into the ANBU Captain role, was supposed to obtain information on Konoha's hidden secrets in order to build up information against the Elders and the Hokage..."

"But Itachi had other plans..." Sakura stated, and Sasuke looked from Mikoto to Sakura. "Growing up during the war, Itachi evolved into a bit of a pacifist... and knowing you were still so young, he didn't want you to be thrown into a world where a civil war was soon to erupt, no doubt."

"No... Itachi annihilated our entire clan… because he wanted to test his capabilities..." Sasuke shut his eyes, his fists harshly slamming down on the table as he began to understand what they were trying to tell him.

_Itachi is innocent, Sasuke-kun_

_How could they possibly try to tell him that? When they had both witnessed firsthand what Itachi had done... When Sakura herself had fought him off to defend and protect him and Mikoto...?_

"I know this is hard to understand Sasuke-kun... but Itachi did this to protect you..." Mikoto stated. "He struck a deal with Danzo. He would fulfill the annihilation of the clan, only if he were allowed to spare you, Sasuke-kun..." There were tears in Mikoto's eyes as she spoke. "Because he loved you more than anything in this world, Sasuke-kun..."

"But then I got in the way. I knew Mikoto was with child, and because of me I'm sure Itachi knew too... but he couldn't risk bringing another child to this world, when he could not guarantee their safety with Danzo still lurking in the background. Fortunately, I stalled him enough to not fulfill his plans, and he was glad I did so there afterwards, I'm sure, for Saki is still alive today. I threatened and black-mailed Danzo into not only keeping his end of the deal, but also in order to obtain immunity for Mikoto and her unborn child, knowing that Danzo was probably already making plans to dispose of them and probably blame it on Itachi." Sakura stated, spitting venom at the mention of Danzo's name and recalling all of her past interactions with him.

"If he really wanted to, Itachi could have killed the both of us Sasuke-kun... and I'm sure deep down inside you know it too..." Mikoto explained.

"No... how could he..."

"A world where he is detested and loathed by his own village Sasuke... he traded it all to assure himself that you would grow up in a village that loved you, with people who cared for you, so that you could one day grow up and achieve great things for the good of a nation that he loved, Sasuke-kun." Sakura stated, her hands balling into fists as her heart opened up a bit, thinking about Itachi. "I've known from the very beginning, which is why I told you to keep an open mind all those years ago. From the time I got to know him Sasuke, he was a great guy... He was misunderstood and often times didn't know how to express himself, but up until the day of the massacre, he protected me from the threats of your father, who had accused me of murdering Shisui..."

"And it had been him all along..." Sasuke acknowledged bitterly.

"...Sort of..."

Sasuke looked up in confusion at Sakura's interjection.

"Shisui... was also not in agreement with what the clan was doing... nor was he siding with the Elders, who under Danzo's rule, called for Konoha's eventual destruction as well... Which is why he counted on Itachi for the ultimate security of the village... He gave up his own life to allow Itachi to save the village from ruins... which he inadvertently entrusted you to do, Sasuke-kun." Sakura spoke. "In my timeline, a world where I did not rescue Mikoto and Saki, you went off to abandon the village shortly after the Chunin Exams, choosing to take Orochimaru as your sensei, where you proceeded to learn forbidden techniques in order to eventually take revenge upon Itachi... except you would eventually find out the truth and turn a blind eye on what Itachi had wanted, and you would have sought revenge on Konoha, eventually beginning another world war."

That's right, while Sakura had been stuck in her dimensional bubble, she had done enough research with her kekkai genkai to help, so she had also gotten to see the future that lay ahead in her own timeline. And, well, she was thankful that Tsunade sent her back when she did... She did not get to see much, just small glimpses of what would become, enough to paint a picture that Sasuke was a major piece in creating a whole new Shinobi War.

Sasuke had no words to speak, so Sakura decided to continue. "The reason that we are telling you this Sasuke, is to tell you that regardless of where Itachi is now, he is not your enemy..."

"He is not _our _enemy." Mikoto affirmed, giving Sakura a pointed look as if saying _"he had his reasons for trying to kill you Sakura, he always has reasons, so please don't hate him for it."_

And still, Sasuke was silent, not knowing exactly what to think.

There was a long silence before Mikoto spoke up once more. "...He came to see her, you know... Saki-chan... a few months after Sakura delivered her..."

"Oh?" Sakura questioned, not having been aware of this fact. Mikoto in turn gave a nod of confirmation.

"I remember it well; it had been Saki's third month. He seemed so nervous at first... holding her in his arms." Mikoto recalled. "But holding her in his arms... he was instantly smitten with her, you could tell, even if he didn't say it." Mikoto smiled. "He was proud... and I'm sure he would be proud now, Sasuke, seeing how well you've grown up. He had always said that he'd stand by you no matter what..."

And that had done it. He slipped.

And for one of the few times in his life, Sasuke allowed himself to cry.

Because for so long, he had looked at his brother as evil, despite the fact that, as Sakura and his mother had explained it, it had been all for Sasuke, in a twisted and complicated way. And there Mikoto, Sasuke, and Sakura sat, allowing Sasuke to cope with this. He had spent over ten years of his life resenting his older brother, when it was him he should have been thankful for. When it was him Sasuke owed everything to. And deep down inside, he was glad. Glad that Sakura and Mikoto interfered before his hate developed into an all-out mind-consuming obsession on revenge. So he sat there, perhaps for fifteen minutes, perhaps for an hour, simply crying, feeling like it was something that he definitely needed. And Sakura and Mikoto understood this –hell, Mikoto was crying alongside him, her hands gripping Sasuke's own for support, as they both recalled the fateful day when their family was torn apart by the cruelty of the world.

"Do you... believe us?" Sakura questioned hesitantly upon hearing Sasuke's crying settle, his breathing still ragged and tears still sliding down his cheeks, but Sasuke, overall, calm.

After a long pause, Sasuke looked at Sakura, tears still in his eyes, and nodded. "I do"

Seriously? It had been that easy? Sakura couldn't believe she was dreading this, if this is all that it took.

"You two have no reason to lie to me... I trust you guys more than anyone." Sasuke explained, and then looked at Sakura. "You cared enough to go back into the past to try and make my life more bearable... I appreciate that more than words alone could express, Sakura." Sakura's heart lightened at the words. "And I knew, deep down inside, that Itachi could never commit those crimes willingly..."

"Sasuke, I'm sure that right around now you might want to murder the Elders… trust me, I wish it nearly as much as you do," Sakura began, allowing herself a moment to drink some of the tea that had laid forgotten on the table up until now, "but please understand that there are other pressing matters to attend to before we even consider doing that."

"Such as?" Sasuke asked, wiping away his tears, and right around this time, Mikoto began listening intently too.

"First off, destroying Akatsuki. Protecting Naruto has always and will always be my number one priority until we see the end of it. Although Danzo is not an ally, we do have a common enemy with Akatsuki, and the advantage we have here is that Danzo is not aware of my circumstances of having been to the past. If we can focus our energy into the destruction of the Akatsuki and allow time to pass until we are ready for a confrontation with Danzo, then things will go a lot smoother for us. Whether he looks like it or not, Danzo is fairly strong and highly dangerous. He has under his control, one of Shisui's eyes, which serves as a very potent and dangerous weapon for him, after all."

"He took Shisui's eye?" Sasuke asked, angered.

"Hai." Sakura gave a curt nod. "Shisui's eyes were a bit of a prize, even among the Uchiha, to which I will not get into specifics about, but even here, we have an advantage that even he will not see coming."

"And what is that?" Mikoto asked, curious. Frankly, she had never gotten into conversation about Shisui, seeing him a rather irrelevant topic, what with everything else that was going on around them.

Sakura grinned. "Why, we have Shisui, of course."

* * *

"ACHOO!"

"Are you coming down with the flu, Shisui?"

Shisui looked up from his location in the kitchen to stare at the sole female friend he had, the only person he had been able to interact with in about ten years. "I hope not." He shivered.

"Here, let me check." Marika approached him, placing a gentle hand on his forehead. "You don't seem hot..."

"I'm sure it's nothing. Just feeling the chills a little... It's funny actually, because the only time I ever do is when it has something to do with Sakura... I tell you, you have one scary little sister." Shisui sighed, shaking his head.

Marika laughed. "You don't have to tell me twice Shisui. But hey, I'm hungry and I've got to get back on the road in a few hours, so either you hurry up and make lunch, or I leave you alone for another month." Marika grinned.

"Hai, Hai," He sighed, and when Marika turned around and began to walk away, he added a quick "demanding woman", to which he had Marika laughing at.

"I heard that."

"I don't know what you're talking about, _darling_."

At said comment, Marika was quick to blush and stammer away. "S-Shuddup!"

Because Marika couldn't have been any more innocent, even at age 24, and Shisui just found it so amusing and adorable, if he were being completely honest with himself.

And maybe, just maybe, it was because Marika undeniably had the biggest crush ever on the older male Uchiha, but of course, he was much too dense and stupid to even catch a hint of it, even if she was extremely obvious about it.

'_My life sucks,' _Marika thought with a defeated sigh, going back to the tatami mat and placing herself sprawled all over the table in misery. _'I can kind of understand how Sakura felt, crushing on Itachi. These men are, by all definitions of the word, dense.'_

But alas, she supposed it was her fault for liking a buffoon like him anyway.

* * *

"Shisui-kun… is alive?!" Mikoto didn't believe it. It seemed like just yesterday that she was crying in her kitchen, mourning the loss of one of her favorite nephews. Why hadn't Sakura told her before? Well, she supposed she could understand why, but she could hardly care at this point -_he was alive...!_

Sakura nodded. "Please refrain from telling anyone else, for the time being. But yes, with the help of his eyes, he put Itachi under a genjutsu that left Itachi thinking he had actually killed Shisui, in order for him to awaken the Magekyou. Then he took his only other good eye and left it to be watched over by Itachi and for him to do as he saw fit with it. Shortly afterwards he was going to kill himself, but I had other plans for him, so I intervened." Sakura explained.

"You truly have done wonders to the past Sakura." Mikoto said in delight, clapping her hands. "But where is he now?" Mikoto questioned.

"He is currently in a village located about a days time from here, travelling wise. I had Marika watch over him while I was... err, away, you could say." Sakura said.

"So... he has no Sharingan?" Sasuke questioned in disbelief.

Sakura shook his head. "No, but let me tell you, he'd sure give you a run for your money, that's for sure Sasuke-kun. You could probably learn a thing or two from him, given that he returns to the village and stuff." Sakura explained.

Sasuke's eyes twinkled in delight at that, and Sakura couldn't help but laugh. Hell, she was beginning to see Sasuke as a little brother, and she had to admit, it was almost adorable seeing his face not being so expressionless all the time.

"But, as I said, you are to tell no one of Shisui's existence. Not even Kakashi knows, which is rare, seeing as he's become our confidante, and-"

"Wait, Kakashi-sensei knew all this time too?"

Sakura sighed, realizing she had completely forgotten to tell Sasuke this.

"In the beginning we didn't really want to tell him… but we realized if we wanted you all to survive we needed to make a close-knit connection of people in which we could trust… Kakashi-sensei seemed like our number one choice. I knew he was a trustworthy man in the future, and although lazy, under pressure he can definitely deliver. Plus, he has enough contacts to give us a heads up if we ever seemed to be in danger of anything." Sakura explained.

"Not to mention, he would become your senseis', so it was best he knew of our situations long before." Mikoto added, and Sakura agreed with a quick nod.

"Who else knows?" Sasuke asked.

"Aside from my family, Kakashi, and Tsunade-sama, and Shisui of course, nobody."

"And Naruto?" Mikoto was more along the lines asking whether he should be told, and Sakura contemplated this.

"He has a big mouth." Sakura commented, and as a response Sasuke scoffed, as if saying that was an understatement. "But, I know I can trust Naruto with pretty much anything…" she sighed. "Plus, I guess it doesn't help when he's already eavesdropping on our conversation, so it's not like I can_ not _tell him."

"I suppose that's true." Sasuke smirked.

"Oh come on, seriously? Was I that obvious?"

"There's no way you'd leave the three of us alone to discuss some super secret information, especially after Saki-chan mentioned wedding arrangements." Mikoto giggled light-heartedly, watching as Sakura shook her head in dismay. Because, knowing Naruto, it was super obvious that he'd make a clone instantly and scurry away before Saki noticed, just for the sake of hearing the juicy gossip between Mikoto, Sasuke, and Sakura.

"It only took about thirty seconds to realize you were here, dobe." Sasuke shrugged, although a smirk was intact. Frankly, he trusted Naruto more than he would ever admit to, and there wasn't anything that Sasuke hadn't eventually shared with the dobe, due to his constant pressuring, so he figured, regardless of whatever it was that Sakura and Mikoto had to share with him now, it wasn't anything that he wouldn't tell Naruto within the next few days anyway. And, well, let's just say Naruto could be so obnoxious, to the point where Sasuke was willing to share just about anything in order to have him shut up and leave him alone.

"But you know," Naruto began, walking inside of the living room and sitting cross-legged across from Mikoto, "Now that you mention it, I do remember a Sakura-oneechan from the past too."

"Well of course you do." Sakura confirmed. "I couldn't simply just _go to the past, _and _not _meet my favorite knuckle-headed, future Hokage. You were so cute back then Naruto! With your cute little whiskers and your goofy little grin..." Sakura laughed as Naruto blushed slightly, if not for the embarrassing things Sakura was saying about him, then because, he noted, Sakura had gone out of her way to meet him because she loved and cared for him, and these thoughts were enough to send fuzzy feelings to the pit of his stomach.

"Enough about Naruto." Sasuke tried his best not to roll his eyes, because deep down inside he knew that Naruto absolutely loved it when Sakura complimented him (because frankly, it didn't happen that often), "When are you going to go speak to Shisui?"

Taking her attention off of Naruto, her gleeful smile turned back into a serious one. "Probably as soon as Marika-neechan comes back. I've been having her visit him on a monthly basis to make sure he's okay while I've been away, which is probably where she's at now. I'd like to have a conversation with my clan as well, if at all possible… get a better feel of what has changed." Sakura explained. Despite her having time to see all the changes, it was one thing watching them, and another thing all together actually experiencing it firsthand. Not to mention that she couldn't ever be at more than one place at a given time, so some events over-lapped, some of which could have been crucial or important.

"Should you be accompanied?" Sasuke asked, and Sakura clearly took the hint that he so desperately wanted to meet his elder cousin.

In response, Sakura laughed. "We'll see Sasuke-kun."

"If you don't take him with you neither you nor I will ever hear the end of it Sakura." Mikoto laughed.

"Is this cousin of yours strong Sasuke-teme?" Naruto asked curiously.

Sasuke gave a curt nod. "He was up to par with Itachi, easily."

Naruto's eyes twinkled in delight, but before he could even speak up, Sakura interjected. "No Naruto, I will not take you with me and no, you cannot ask him to fight you." She sighed in disbelief. It was amazing how much he didn't change at all –then again, a Naruto that wasn't Naruto-like at all would simply not be home.

"But whyyyyyy" he complained childishly.

"I know for a fact Tsunade isn't letting you step out of Konoha without a formal team." Sakura shook her head. "Just because I've been away on a mission doesn't mean I'll forget that much, Naruto no Baka." Sakura stood up and stretched, smacking Naruto as she walked away. "Now, if you will excuse me, I'd like to go to my room and lie down for a bit. It's been a long day."

"But It's barely noon Sakura-chan!" she could hear Naruto complaining as she walked off, but she didn't care. Telling Sasuke the truth had been taking such a toll on her, and now that it was out in the open, she could finally rest at ease.

For now, she had to figure out what her next steps of action would be, and what exactly she was supposed to do about Itachi.

Just the thought of his name was enough to have her heart clench once more, recalling the events of the Uchiha Massacre. She couldn't recall how her supposed murder went down, having not actually been there, but she knew, having seen the supposed sight of her death, that he had definitely used the Amaterasu on her… well, it had been either him or Tobi, but regardless, he had charged at her with the intent to kill, so he was as much to blame as Tobi. And it wasn't like she could ask Kikyou -she hadn't heard a word from her since she had taken control of Sakura's body. Matsuro had explained to her that Kikyou was resting, having used too much of her strength, and that it would be a while before she recuperated, but Sakura knew nothing more, not that she needed to. Kikyou had taken the Amaterasu for her -she had saved her life from either Itachi or Tobi, and this she could never thank her enough for.

And Tobi was another topic in itself. Who was he? Yes, he was an Uchiha, but who? Who did Itachi respect and fear enough? Sakura could think of no one, and it scared her to think what he was capable of if Itachi, one of the top members in the Akatsuki, feared him. And what were Tobi's true motives and intentions? Why help Itachi annihilate the clan, and why even take enough interest in her to try and kill her? It couldn't be that Itachi had asked him to do it, could it?

They needed information on this Tobi character, but she feared even Jiraiya wouldn't be able to safely acquire any.

With a long, exasperated sigh, Sakura shut her eyes and smothered her head with a pillow. It was her first day back, and as alleviating as it was, telling Sasuke about the truth behind the Uchiha Massacre had only been Step 1 out of a series of steps, and she had no idea what to do anymore.

'_I definitely need to visit Shisui... He'll have better insight on what to do from here on out. So will my clan.' _Sakura thought to herself with a nod. She had to rely on her instincts, and of course the advice from people such as Kakashi, Tsunade, and Jiraiya... She was sure, only with their help and guidance, could they see to the destruction of Akatsuki.

And with that thought in mind, she decided that she should focus on other things, perhaps something a little more along the lines of catching up with friends and family.

**End of Chapter 2**

**Do you guys sense a little Marika x Shisui? Why yes, yes you do :3 I don't know why but I have completely fallen in love with the idea of Marika and Shisui getting together x) EVERYONE IS ALLOWED A CHANCE AT LOVE, EVEN IF ITS AN OC AND A SHOULD BE DECEASED CHARACTER ALRIGHT?! What do you guys think about it though? :s is it too much?**

**Also, I know it seems like I'm kind of doing a little NaruxSaku or SasuxSaku, but I want to paint the image that since Sasuke and Sakura practically grew up together, and Sasuke actually having what was a bit of a make-shift family, he would not grow up as emotionless and detached, and finding out Sakura pretty much saved his life, he'll feel like he has to protect her so they grow kind of a protective younger brother perspective of things. And… well, Saki just wants Sakura in the family as an older sister ^.^ Cuz Sakura is bad-ass and cool and all that good shtuff. Also, even though I don't care for the pairing, Naruto DOES have feelings for Sakura in the anime, which I am trying to incorporate slightly just to make things slightly more realistic, but not to worry, it won't really be a big (or even minor, for that matter) focus at all.**

**Basically a slow-ish chapter, Sakura kind of easing in to the whole 'I've been gone for four whole months but I actually haven't lived this life' role. Trust me, the next 2 chapters will be a lot more exciting and will start getting down to the core of the plot!**

**Also on another note, I uploaded a two-shot a while ago, if you haven't already you should check it out ^.^ Next stories i'll be working on are hopefully _New Sakura_, _Somewhere We Belong_, _The Penis Game_ (the 2nd and last chapter to the 2 shot), as well as more revisions for _Sakura's New Past._**

**Check my profile for updates as well!**

**Questions? Comments? Concerns? Critiques? I'm all ears!**

**Any and all feedback is much appreciated!**

**-MarzSpy**


	3. Captured (Again)

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form.**

**Chapter 3: Captured (...Again)**

* * *

"_Nice to see you again, Sakura."_

"_Likewise, Shisui." Sakura gave a curt nod as Shisui side-stepped, allowing Sakura to enter his small home._

"_I've been hearing news about a terrible Massacre in Konoha... I don't suppose Itachi had something to do with it?" Shisui began as they approached the living room and sat down, his question obviously not mean to actually be answered. Because both of them clearly knew it had everything to do with Itachi._

_With a sigh, Sakura slumped herself down, accepting the cup of tea that was already laid out for her. "It's been a full week and everything's still in complete chaos. Sasuke and Mikoto are doing well, though. At least you can commend me for that." Sakura stated sarcastically, and Shisui could visibly see how much of a strain the entire ordeal had taken on Sakura since the last time he had seen her._

"_I'm sure having Mikoto will help alleviate some of what Sasuke must be feeling. It was a wise move trying to save her, Sakura." Shisui gave her a curt nod, a sign of acknowledgement as he tried his best to ease Sakura's worry stress._

"_It had been easier said than done, let me tell you." Sakura sighed. _

_"Oh I can see that Sakura. You're thirteen, why do you have wrinkles already?" he tried to joke, pleased when Sakura sent him a glare, anything to get her mind off of things momentarily._

_"You know what, I'm sorry I'm trying to pick up the pieces your clan left behind."_

_"Hai, Hai, I know Sakura." Shisui gave her a small, genuine smile. "What you are doing for us, we are very grateful for. I'm sure I wouldn't have seen anyone step up after the massacre to take care of Sasuke in your timeline." Although he tried to soften his statement with his smile, Sakura could see how serious he was, just adding to how much Shisui appreciated everything Sakura was doing for them._

_"And speaking about the massacre..." Sakura suddenly spoke up, trying not to dwell on his kindness, for she was a busy girl with things to do, "there is something I have been itching to ask you about. It's been on my mind ever since the massacre and I can't let it go, no matter how much I try. I'm hoping you can shine some light on the ordeal."_

"_Oh?" Shisui said, intrigued, as he took a sip of his tea. "I'll try my best to answer, but the massacre had primarily been Itachi's planning, not mine. It wasn't like I'd be there to supervise or see to it that plans go smoothly, after all." He responded, implying that he would have been dead, so why the hell would he have cared how Itachi planned on going about with the massacre, so long as he actually did it._

"_Well... did he ever mention... the aid of another Uchiha for the annihilation of the clan, by any chance?"_

"_Another Uchiha?" Shisui questioned in befuddlement as he raised a delicate eyebrow, now even more intrigued than before._

_Sakura nodded in confirmation. "You see, when fighting Itachi, a masked man appeared... He activated the Amaterasu using the one hole in his mask. He had great fighting capabilities as well, enough so that, even with my Flower Eye, I could not keep up with him or even land a single blow on him, for that matter. He was certainly stronger than any shinobi I have seen in a really long time... I fear even Itachi in the present wouldn't be any match for him. Hell, Itachi seemed scared of him, if I think back to our fight." Sakura explained._

"_And you're sure it was his? The Amaterasu, that is?" Shisui questioned, more so intrigued about the Mangekyou Sharingan that this supposed Uchiha had, rather than his fighting capabilities._

"_I'm positive. I saw his Sharingan eye right before he nearly set me on fire." Sakura affirmed._

_For a long time, Shisui did not speak. "Despite our clan being thirsty for power," he began, "we frowned upon actually obtaining the Mangekyou because of its side-effects and because of the actual act of committing a crime. This is why Itachi kept it a secret that he obtained his eyes, even from his father, because despite how proud Fugaku would have been, the cons definitely outweigh the pros." Shisui paused, allowing himself time to sigh for a long time before he continued. "On top of that, there wasn't anyone other than Itachi and myself that showed great enough promise to pull of exceptionally high skill like that which you mention... I don't think I've ever seen Itachi fearful of any clansmen of ours, let alone an opponent. Frankly, if this was an actual Uchiha you encountered, he was definitely not part of the clan before the massacre, is my assumption."_

_Sakura was left deep in thought. An Uchiha not already with the clan...? "Did you guys have any kinsmen go rogue? Enough for him to be perhaps around twenty, at most?" Although she could not get a look at the face to determine an accurate age, based on the slim figure on the shinobi, she could tell that he had yet to develop a muscular physique, meaning he was exceptionally young, perhaps no older than the Kakashi of that timeline._

_Shisui shook his head. "Not that I know of, but I couldn't give you an accurate statistic even if I wanted to... I never paid too much attention to that sort of stuff anyway." Shisui responded._

"_Well, thanks anyway... whoever he is, he is definitely a threat to our plans..." Sakura couldn't help but bite her thumb as she analyzed the situation, a trait of Tsunade's that had rubbed off on her over the years._

"_How so?" Shisui questioned._

"_Well... I could be wrong, although I highly doubt that is the case, I think he is a masked man affiliated with Akatsuki years from now..."_

_Shisui's eyes widened and then suddenly narrowed. "And you're sure he's an Uchiha?" he questioned once again._

"_I am nearly positive." Sakura confirmed. He even had tufts of black hair, and even though that was hardly anything to base her hypothesis on, she knew that most Uchihas' were never dumb enough to go and get themselves killed, and have their eyes stolen from them on top of that. So the probability that this masked stranger, this _Tobi _that she thought him to be, had stumbled upon a rare find of eyes with the Mangekyou already established within them was highly improbable. "Why, what are you thinking?" she questioned._

"_No, nothing for now... it just seems... strange, is all... But never mind that! Aren't you going to check how my eyes are doing?"_

"_Hai..." Sakura nodded, as her and Shisui stood and walked towards the only bedroom in the house. Shisui lay down flat, while Sakura sat down alongside him, her hands hovering over his closed eye lids. "I hope this isn't too sudden, but this is probably the last time you'll see me in a while." She spoke as she pushed chakra into his retinas._

"_It's fine; you warned me this would happen." He hummed out, quietly almost._

_Silence._

"_I'll see if I can have somebody come in my stead once a month for these sessions." Sakura offered._

"_I'd rather not risk people discovering of my existence, it is fine. I'm sure your handiwork on my eye is just fine." He rejected._

"_It'll be a long time..." Sakura pressed._

"_And I shall wait patiently, Sakura." He rejected once more, and with a sigh, Sakura decided to give up. Although she hadn't known Shisui for very long, she had learned he was a stubborn boy, and she found it best to deal with him by not dealing with him at all. She'd find somebody, hopefully, and send him or her off to make sure Shisui's eye was doing just fine, with or without Shisui's consent, she decided._

* * *

"What's next on the agenda?"

"Still searching for replacements for Hidan and Kakuzu. Kisame and Itachi are currently heading back from Cloud and Orochimaru and Tobi are off to claim the bounty on that Kiri-nin."

"And Sasori and Deidara?"

"They've just returned and are awaiting your instructions."

"Good. I sense a wind of change. Be ready Konan."

"Hai, Pein-sama." Konan walked out of the dark room, her piercing blue eyes penetrating the empty darkness. And it was true, she could feel the winds of change too...

* * *

It was late at night, Sakura having just returned from a casual, relaxed dinner with her friends (Naruto and Sasuke had effortlessly organized a Welcome Back party to commemorate Sakura's return to Konoha, in which all of the original Rookie 9 had attended, along with Team Gai, her Haruno family members, and their old senseis).

She had barely gotten to rest but five or so minutes, and Sakura found her door being knocked on before she could even allow herself to relax. "Hai?"

Slowly, in walked Saki. "Okaa-san told me to alert you that Marika has finally arrived. She's sent word of your arrival and asked that she meet you at Hiroto-sensei's house."

With a nod, Sakura got up and stretched. "Arigatou Saki-chan. Tell Mikoto I am grateful." Sakura began walking towards the door, ruffling Saki's hair as she walked past her.

With a grin, Saki ran, easily caught up to Sakura, and then walked alongside her down the hall. "Are you leaving again, Sakura-neesama?"

"Only for a little while this time, I promise." Sakura looked down at Saki with a smile.

She pouted in response. "When will we get to train together again? I swear I'm so close to mastering my chakra control! And then you can teach me how to smash boulders too!" she proclaimed.

Sakura laughed a hearty laugh. "Wouldn't it be cool if you developed your own technique though?" Sakura stated.

"What do you mean?" she pondered this.

"Well, everyone from Team 7 has their special, signature move or technique. For Sasuke-kun, it's his hundreds of different fire and electric type jutsus, as well as his infamous Raikiri. For Naruto, it's his thousands of Shadow Clones and his rasengan of course, and for me, it's my innate healing abilities and my inhuman strength, obviously." Sakura explained with a wink.

Saki put a finger to her mouth as she thought. "You're absolutely right Sakura-neesama! When you come back, I'll have a super cool technique especially for me made up! You'll see it'll be the best, I promise."

"Alright, I'll hold you to your word. If you see Sasuke-kun please tell him to be ready to leave tomorrow morning, and to ask Tsunade-sama for time off if he needs to."

"Hai! I'll go find Sasuke-niisan right away!" And she was off like a lightning bolt, just as Sakura was getting ready to leave the house. Sakura could swear she never had even half of the energy that Saki had –it was truly amazing, she didn't really know where Saki got it from, but she sure felt like she would be a pain to deal with for Hiroto.

* * *

"Sakura-chan!" Marika and Himawari had both quite literally tackled Sakura to the ground, nearly as soon as Sakura had entered the compound.

"We've missed you so much!" Himawari cried anime tears.

"I've been so lonely in the house without you!" Marika did the same.

"Stop being so melodramatic." Hiroto rolled his eyes, standing before Sakura as he shook his head in disapproval. At this statement, Marika and Himawari, with a defeated sigh, got off of Sakura and allowed her to stand. "I swear they always get so childish when you go away on missions."

"I resent that."

"As do I."

One by one, Himawari and Marika both passed by Hiroto, both of them smacking his arm rather harshly. "Maybe if you were a little more welcoming to our guests, Marika would come by more often." Himawari scoffed.

"Yeah, maybe I would." Marika agreed.

It was Hiroto's turn to scoff. "You're hardly a guest. More of a pest I can't get rid of."

At the mention, Sakura laughed, and before Marika could even try to decapitate him, Sakura tried to defuse the situation. "Alright, come on guys, as much as I'd love to come here to hang out, I've got some catching up to do and I don't have nearly enough time as I'd like to do it."

"Hai." Marika and Himawari grumbled in displeasure, meanwhile Hiroto just sighed and gave her a small smile.

"Right this way, Sakura-hime." He teased lightly, showing Sakura the way to their living room. "Daichi and Sayuri are already waiting inside."

Sakura gave a curt not in acknowledgement, following Hiroto to a shoji door which he slid open. The living room was rather spacious, and at the other end, there was yet another shoji door already opened, revealing a peaceful and serene view of a small pond and the beautiful lush green forest behind it. Daichi and Sayuri were lounging around in the outside, their feet dipping off the porch. Upon hearing the shoji door slide open, they both turned around and watched as Sakura walked before them.

Courteously, they both stood up and gave a small bow. "Sakura-sama, it is a pleasure to see you once more." Daichi stated.

"Likewise." Sakura nodded, a little embarrassed at being treated so much like… _royalty… _But it was to be expected, in all honesty. Sakura _was _royalty. She was their heir. And now that she was back, no longer in a thirteen year old body, she emitted the confidence of a full-fledged adult, with the knowledge of the past, present, and future all hanging on her shoulders. Accordingly, they all settled for a place around the table, as they expectantly looked at Sakura to begin saying whatever it was that she needed to say.

"Let me start off by saying it's been so long since I've seen you all." Sakura looked around, not used to seeing all of her family members so grown up. "For all of you its been four months without me... for me, it's been years." She sighed. "That being said, it's nice to be back." Sakura began, "And even though I was able to partially watch everything as it happened, I've realized I have missed a lot... Which is why I've called everyone here, to get a better feel of what is going on in Konoha's politics today." Sakura stated.

Hiroto nodded understandingly, as he began speaking. "Tsunade-sama appointed Marika as an ambassador to the Daimyo, whereas Himawari here has just recently gotten assigned to her first ANBU team."

"I have been training under Ibiki to eventually become head of the torture department." Sayuri said with a bow.

Alongside her, Daichi let a small shiver run down his spine, because he just knew that somehow this meant her trying out techniques on him, and he wasn't sure if he could exactly handle that. "I am practicing under Nara Shikamaru's guidance for Tsunade's tactical analysis division."

"That's new." Sakura commented.

"Hai." Marika confirmed. "It's currently lacking many members, only having Shikamaru, Daichi, and Shino, and although Jiraiya is not explicitly in it, he works with them often enough."

"Meanwhile, as you already know, I have taken up the task of leading Saki's squad." Hiroto gave a curt nod. "After much deliberation, Tsunade-sama, Mikoto, Kakashi and I believed it to be the best course of action, seeing as Kakashi would be needed out in the field once you returned."

Sakura nodded, understanding their thought process. "And who is helping Saki with her Mangekyou?" she asked.

"Sasuke is helping hone her Sharingan, but Kakashi has slowly began teaching her the basics every now and then... it kinda just depends on whether or not Saki can corner Kakashi and pressure him into doing it." Hiroto scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"As is typical to get Kakashi to do anything." Sakura rolled her eyes, thinking about her lazy sensei, but moved on. "How have Akatsuki been?" Sakura moved on to a more serious topic.

"...They've been, a little more than unsettling." Hiroto was truthful, after a long pause in which they thought about Akatsuki. "Just the other month there were sightings of Akatsuki around the borders of the Fire Country." Hiroto began.

"It had been a mess trying to settle the Daimyo's uneasiness." Marika rolled her eyes. "Thankfully, he felt a little more at ease with a Haruno by his side. Apparently we're a bit of a rare find, who would have known." Marika said sarcastically, rolling her eyes slightly. Just because she was a Haruno didn't assure his safety any more than having another equally-skilled ninja by his side. Truthfully speaking, Kakashi could probably defeat her with only slight difficulty if he were really trying.

"I've heard from Tsunade that Jiraiya's contacts say they're closing in on the eight-tails, the team of Sasori and Deidara being seen there several times, but I think it'll be a while till that happens." Hiroto began.

"From what Ibiki has informed me, the eight-tails seems to be really strong, having full control of his demon." Sayuri added on with a nod of agreement. "It seems that, for now, the likelihood of him being caught is small."

"It's a front." Daichi said with boredom, staring outside at a wandering butterfly, and all eyes turned to him as he spoke.

"Oh?" Sakura questioned, raising a delicate eyebrow for emphasis.

"The eight tails has serious offensive and defensive stats, nearly up to par, if not greater, with that of Naruto's nine-tails, due to their combined techniques and complete synchronization of moves and attacks." Daichi began. "They would need a team that can not only isolate him and catch him off guard, but withstand incredible force and also deliver it in quick succession in order to subdue it. From the statistics and information I've gathered with the joint help of Jiraiya and Shikamaru, the team consisting of Kisame and Itachi would seem ideal because of their strong offensive output, but neither Kisame nor Itachi have nearly enough stamina to be able to hold through long enough to drain his strength." Daichi sighed. "On top of that, there is the team of Sasori and Deidara, who are very versatile, but the demon's regenerative and defense capabilities leave both Sasori's poison and Deidara's explosions at a great, crippling disadvantage, even if their teamwork is rather remarkable." Daichi explained analytically, as if this had been something he had given much thought to before. "And then there is the team of Orochimaru and Tobi, and although not much information is gathered on Tobi, Orochimaru's great summons would be the best opponent for immobilizing the beast, while Tobi's exceedingly high speeds cripple the Jinchuuriki, although this team is at best, average or adept at trying to capture the beast. But who really knows how well Orochimaru's snake summons would fair against it. I reckon it would still be a crippling loss, regardless of his great skill."

"So what do you suppose their real target is?" Sakura questioned.

"Well, after having given it much thought," Daichi began, "The only real gains they have from hanging around there is either obtaining information on the Hachibi, their kage, or as a diversion tactic." He stated. "And the only other Jinchuuriki's that have avoided capture thus far are the one-tail, the six-tails, and the nine-tails. Naruto is under high surveillance here, and having such skilled shinobi like Kakashi, Sasuke, Sakura, etc. etc., Naruto included, makes it a little difficult for them to capture him. The six-tails, having such high-mobility and never staying in one place for too long, can easily evade them for a long period of time, not to mention that Kirigakure has taken extensive efforts to try and keep him safe. If he is ever found, regardless of their contacts, he'll be found first and foremost by Kiri-nin, not Akatsuki. And were that to be the case, he'd be taken back to the village, where he'll be a hell of a lot safer, enough for it to be too difficult to extract him. Over the past few months, he has traveled to over four different nations, as Jiraiya's contacts informed us, so the likelihood of him running into Akatsuki is rather low... Plus, he is extremely skilled and capable of evading capture with his quick thinking and easy escapes."

Although he didn't state it, it was evident at what he was getting at.

_They were targeting Gaara next._

But of course, because Suna had fallen behind over the years and have recently been struggling to maintain their strength as one of the Great Shinobi Nations. In addition, Gaara was grounded to the village and had a duty to protect it as its kage, and not to mention the location made it ideal to attack without being seen, with plenty of places to hide, no thanks to the damned sand everywhere.

"Have you informed Tsunade of this?" Sakura questioned, her eyebrows scrunching up as she began heavily thinking.

"We have. Unfortunately, because our relations with Suna are not very sound, we really have no way of helping Suna or aiding them in case an attack draws near, which is likely, seeing as their shinobi are average at best, with the exception of the Kazekage himself, and their medical field truly a sham compared to ours." Daichi explained with a sigh. "But, she did say she was making successful attempts at contacting their Kazekage, Gaara no Subaku, over the past few months, since you left for your mission, actually." Daichi explained.

Marika nodded at this. "Tsunade was talking about sending me over there as an ambassador, but due to the high-demand of which the Daimyo calls for me, she has been thinking about sending either Shikamaru, or Naruto, of course supervised by either you or Sasuke, or both, once you came back from your mission."

"That probably wouldn't be such a bad idea." Sakura acknowledged. Even though the battle at Konoha involving the attack of Shukaku during the Chunin exams never officially happened, and hence forth, Naruto was never able to form a bond with Gaara, it was never hard for Naruto to make a new friend, especially not a fellow Jinchuuriki. "I will speak to Tsunade regarding this matter when I get back in a few days, then. I have a contact I'd like to visit."

"Umm... in regards to travelling, Sakura-chan..." Himawari spoke up suddenly, allowing eyes to fall on her, "you won't be travelling alone, will you?" All eyes turned to Sakura, awaiting her response.

"Well, I was planning to travel with Sasuke-kun, why?" Sakura asked curiously.

There was a hesitant, pregnant pause in the air. "Orochimaru hasn't ceased searching for the heir since you came back to this timeline, Sakura-hime." Hiroto explained. "We are fearful that he knows it is you, and we know that he has spies everywhere... We haven't taken any risks ever since the Chunin exams..."

Sakura's eyes scrunched up, quickly being troubled by this news, her eyes briefly darkening at the mention of the Chunin Exams. The last time she had faced up against Orochimaru, she had barely even avoided capture –and that was with the help of two S-Class missing nins, on top of the help of a Sun God (_thank you Taiyou-sama, _Sakura quickly thought), and Marika.

**(A/N: The whole Chunin Exam thing will be explained in 3 chapters, don't worry too much about it now)**

"We're just worried about losing you so quickly after having gotten you back." Himawari expressed her concern.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine guys." Sakura shook her head in denial. "If Orochimaru is still with Akatsuki, he'll be taking orders from their leader, Pein, so there is no way that he'll disobey orders and go out of his way to come after me. Not to mention, as Daichi stated, they have recently been spotted around Kumo, so I should have no problem where I'm headed." Sakura explained.

"Alright, but please be careful. I don't want to have to go kill someone because you can't keep yourself out of trouble, Sakura-hime." Hiroto teased.

Sakura rolled her eyes playfully, grinning. "Hai, Hai, anyway, I suppose you've all had a long day, so we'll end it here for now. I probably won't see you guys for another few days, so I bid you all a goodbye until next time."

Slowly, each of them said their goodbyes and began going to their individual homes, Marika accompanying Sakura back to where she was taking residence in the Haruno Clan main household. "I don't suppose you've just returned from seeing Shisui, have you?" Sakura questioned, hanging by the front porch of the main household.

"Ironically enough, I have." Marika laughed. Before Sakura could ask her question, Marika added "he's doing good… His eyes have been superb since you've left, and he even suspected you'd be back soon." She quirked a smile.

"He always has been very intuitive." Sakura sighed. "He'd probably be great in that tactical division team Tsunade-sama's created." Sakura stated.

"Are you thinking about bringing him back to Konoha?" Marika mentally flinched at her own statement, noticing the fact that she had sounded a little too... _happy _at the thought.

"I've been thinking he should... There's no real threat anymore... Danzo, for now, is appeased, there's no growing threat of Shisui being eliminated, and it seems about time that our forces unite, no?" Sakura sighed.

"Well, I'm sure whatever you two decide will be for the best. Send Shisui my regards, Sakura-chan." Marika gave Sakura a quick, deep hug, and began walking off, planning on heading to her apartment.

"You literally _just _came from seeing him." Sakura stated, a raised eyebrow delicately framing her features.

"It never hurts to be cordial!" Marika shouted, not turning around, mainly because she was a little too worried that Sakura would spot the blush on her face.

With a sigh, Sakura rolled her eyes at Marika's antics and entered the house, finding all the lights off but one. She identified it as Sasuke's room, and gave a quick knock. After hearing a curt "Hn", she allowed herself to enter.

"Sakura" he greeted upon spotting her figure.

"You sure you wish to come with me tomorrow?" Sakura asked him.

He gave a nod. "It's been eleven years since I've seen my cousin. It'll be nice for him to see a familiar face." Sasuke guaranteed himself.

"He asks about you a lot, you know." Sakura approached Sasuke, sitting on the corner of Sasuke's bed. "Nearly every time Marika would visit him, he'd ask about how your skills were progressing and whether or not you'd mastered the Sharingan yet." She explained.

"He'd always treated me as a little brother." Sasuke gave a small smile. "He was always envious of Itachi for having been blessed with a younger brother."

"It shows that he cares." Sakura gave him a small smile. "Anyway, don't stay up too late Sasuke-kun." Sakura began to stand up, stretching.

"Goodnight Sakura."

"Night Sasuke-kun."

Sakura exited his room fairly quickly, not missing the fact that her conscious was soothed, seeing everything in relative calm since she came back. Entering her room, she changed into night clothes fairly quickly, and got clothes ready for the upcoming day.

Allowing herself to flop onto her bed, Sakura was quick to fall asleep, for once feeling at ease. She had her friends, she had her family...

_She had Sasuke-kun and Mikoto and Saki-chan safe..._

For once, things were... good...

And with that thought in mind, Sakura allowed herself to succumb to her much needed sleep.

* * *

"We'll be approaching the village in about two or so miles." Sakura alerted Sasuke, who simply nodded at her as they began to decrease their speed drastically, settling for a slow walk. "In order to not alert the locals, it's best we come in rather casually and blend in. We wouldn't want to bring unwanted attention here anyway."

"Hn" Sasuke agreed, completely understanding the precautions that Sakura was taking.

Walking for about twenty more minutes, they could finally see the small village just over the distance, a quaint little town with not much to particularly see –hell, it didn't even seem like there were any hotels there. But this was probably for the better, he decided, because hotels meant shinobi, and obviously, Shisui could not afford to be discovered. It was just close enough to the village to have him conveniently on the way from most of any mission, but far enough so that any wandering Konoha nin would have to purposely go out of their way to find him. Or any nin, for that matter.

Ten minutes later, they found themselves in the village, walking through the quiet and lonely streets, and it was just then that Sasuke's heart began to beat just a little harder and faster than before. _'Shisui...' _Sasuke had to try his best to not smile, in fear that Sakura would never let him live it down. But still, he could not deny the overwhelming joy he felt at the thought of everything that had occurred within the past twenty four hours.

Not only did Sakura return from her mission (which Sasuke would be lying about if he didn't admit that it had felt like forever), but along with her, came the knowledge of Itachi's ultimate innocence, as well as the survival of a cousin he had long since thought dead. Things were, he decided with a positive attitude, looking up for once in his life. And now all they had to do, as Sakura had stated, was disband Akatsuki and get their eventual revenge on the elders, particularly Danzo, although he could even look past said revenge if he could just have his family reunited once more.

"This is it Sasuke-kun." Sakura snapped him out of his thoughts as they rounded a corner. They approached the home, if not just a little slowly. Sakura fished around the potted plant for the key, and upon finding it, quickly unlocked the door, as they both hurriedly made their entrance into the small but comfortable cabin.

"Shisui! I'm back!" She shouted none too gently, waiting for a response.

She heard some noise from the other side of the house, as a figure began to appear from the hallway. "I just _knew _I had a right to be paranoid yesterday. I swear, you send me such unwelcoming vibes Sa-" Shisui froze instantly, finally appearing in the hallway and taking notice of the second figure alongside Sakura. "S-Sasuke…" he blinked. It took him a while to register, but the similarities were uncanny. Truth be told, he looked scarily like Itachi, but this was definitely Sasuke, down to his eccentric hair style and pointed, refined, sharp looks.

"Shisui." Sasuke greeted with a curt nod, although on the inside uncomfortably uneasy as he examined his cousin. Despite the fact that he was the same age as the old bag Hiroto, it seemed like he had hardly aged since he had been supposedly killed, perhaps do to the fact that he mostly spent his time indoors and had lived a life of relative leisure, ease and relaxation since Sakura had brought him here about eleven to twelve years in the past. He wasn't quite sure how to approach his cousin, whether or not he should openly show affection and give him a blatant, deep hug (as part of him kind of wanted to do), or remain respectful and give the man some space.

But apparently, he didn't really have to decide that on his own, for in the blink of an eye (He hadn't been known as Shisui of the Body Flicker Technique for nothing, he supposed), Shisui was on him with a deep embrace, although he hid his tears rather well. "It's been too long." It was but a whisper, but in his voice Sasuke could tell just how lonely Shisui had been for the past decade. Of course, how would he not be, with only Marika to keep him company one day out of every month?

Sakura interjected quickly, "I knew you'd appreciate seeing him, after all these years." The sight of the two of them was definitely heart-warming, Sakura decided, noticing how she hadn't seen Sasuke so at peace in such a very long time.

They broke apart finally, as Shisui gazed at Sakura. "I'm so glad I decided to trust you years ago, Sakura. None of this would have ever been possible, if not for you."

Sakura could only smile humbly at the gratitude that Shisui was showing her, not knowing what else she could say. "I'm just glad I was persuasive enough to have you give me a chance." And without even giving her much time to register, Shisui was suddenly on her with an embrace, trying his best to show his gratitude for everything she had done for not just him, but for his family too. Now they only needed Itachi, but were it that simple, they probably wouldn't be here right now.

"Alright, enough of the mushy stuff for now. What brings you two here?" And so he began to walk towards the living room, where they would always have their conversations and meetings. He had long since gotten four cushions for his table, instead of two, Marika stating that the state in which his house was in was depressing to her, and that he needed to redecorate if she planned on coming here every month. And although he didn't know what exactly led him to comply to her needs, he supposed he could take advantage of one of those extra cushions now.

"Just wanted to first off let you know that I'm back." Sakura laughed, "But it seemed your intuition figured it out on its own." Sakura stated, amused. "But I'd also like to catch you up on things, just for the sake of being up to date."

"Hai." Shisui confirmed. "Imagine my surprise," Shisui began, "When seven years ago, I heard that Orochimaru had successfully managed to kill the Third Hokage… That must have been the first time I decided that perhaps you weren't lying about your time-travel mumbo jumbo." Shisui stated with a defeated sigh. "Although, by the looks of it, you've managed to change even the way _that _played out."

"Speaking of which, I'm not entirely sure how I managed to do that, being completely honest." Sakura shrugged. "But I suppose that is a topic for another day." Sakura brushed his comment aside. "Things have yet to be sorted out with Suna, so as for what happened that day and there afterwards, I have not the slightest clue."

Shisui nodded. "So what are your plans, now that you are back?" he questioned.

"That's one of the things I wanted to speak to you about," Sakura sighed. "Well, clearly, I have already spoken to Sasuke about the Uchiha Massacre." At said statement, Sasuke gave a quick nod in affirmation. "But now the main things that we must focus on are fortifying our bonds with Suna, protecting the remaining Jinchuuriki, and of course, defeating Akatsuki. As Daichi has stated, he has strong suspicions that they are targeting Gaara no Subaku next, which leaves us with very limited time to act before it's too late." Sakura began. It'll be extremely difficult to fortify bonds, esepecially if Gaara is no longer there -apparently he's the only one in Suna pushing for an alliance.

Shisui sat quietly for a while, before finally speaking up. "Yes... it is crucial that we set up alliances and centralize our power, in case things occur much faster than we anticipate them to." Shisui agreed. "But this does not apply to just Suna," Shisui added. "Has Tsunade-sama made any efforts to contact the countries with the remaining Jinchuuriki?"

Sakura sighed. "From what I've come to know, relations with Kiri are, and may in fact, forever be crippled due to their assault on the Haruno Clan, despite the proclamations that the act was committed by a separate branch not at all following the orders of their Mizukage."

"These proclamations fall on deaf ears, due to the reputation of the previous Mizukage, Yagura though, and with good reason. He didn't even seem deeply regretful of the actions that occurred that night, which left many to believe that the proclamation had actually been more of a slap in the face to all of Konoha than anything else." Sasuke decided to pitch in, noticing Shisui nod as well, having heard of the bloody reputation of Kirigakure. "Their new Kage, Mei, seems rather promising and is working desperately and tirelessly to rebuild the reputation of the Bloody Mist though, which hasn't fallen out of Tsunade's attention." He explained.

"Even so, I feel like the Elders would be quick to point out that trusting Kiri would be a fatal mistake, and I feel like he could just as easily rally support from the villagers if he tried hard enough." Sakura explained with a sigh.

"And what about Kumo?" Shisui asked.

"Relations are actually running rather smoothly." Sasuke explained with a nod. "I suppose it doesn't hurt that B and Naruto have actually become pretty good friends. But mobilizing our units as one may be another story completely." Sasuke stated.

"As long as we have those initial relations, I'd say things are running smoothly though." Shisui shook Sasuke's last comment aside. "For now, what seems most crucial is to unite all four of these nations under one. Sakura, I trust that you are taking proper preparations to speak to their Kazekage, correct?" He looked at her with a pointed look.

"That is first on my agenda once I return." Sakura confirmed.

"Then I suggest you guys speak separately to Tsunade-sama about accepting some sort of truce, even if just temporary, with Kirigakure. You may not have the support of the nation as a whole, on either side, but as long as Mei is capable of understanding that protecting the Jinchuuriki above all else takes top priority, I believe that something may be agreed upon. The Elders be damned, Tsunade-sama has enough strong and intelligent shinobi by her side to support her. The Elders may have influence over the village, but even more influence is that which the shinobi hold over the people –after all, they are the ones that risk their lives to protect them, and if you have the clans such as the Nara, Hyuga, Uchiha, Haruno, Inuzuka, Aburame, Yamanaka, and so on and so forth trusting Tsunade one hundred percent, the villagers will be quick to fall in line."

Sakura and Sasuke both nodded in understanding. Shisui made a good point, this they could not deny.

"I'm sure I don't have to inquire on whether or not Jiraiya is focusing all of his efforts and contacts on finding out what Akatsuki's next steps are, so for now, perhaps have him see to the overall strength in leadership. If they, for one reason or another, do not fully cooperate and obey their leader, this leaves room for weakness and an eventual advantage to us. If we could perhaps have them destroy themselves from the inside out, it just leaves us to get rid of what's left."

And at the mention of this, a sudden thought popped into her head. _'Konan...'_

Kami, she had nearly forgotten all about it. There already _was _a break in authority, somehow. Hell, even Itachi, she could count him in slightly. "You're bloody brilliant Shisui." She decided, a light-bulb sparking in her head.

"Umm… Thank you? Can I ask what was so genius about that, exactly?" Shisui inquired. He had just been trying to cover all the bases, was all. The chances that an organization of such high caliber shinobi were dealing with hierarchy problems was probably slim to none, but even then it's worth making an effort. After all, if Itachi had smuggled himself into the organization perhaps somebody else had?

"It's nothing…" Sakura said, mentally thinking _'Nothing yet'. _It was a very slim chance, but something she could work with, nonetheless. "Just it's a good angle to look at, if all else fails." She added.

"Oh" Shisui merely stated, knowing that Sakura was absolutely lying, but figuring there was no reason to reveal something that was just a thought (an unlikely one at that), he decided to drop it. No use getting someone's hopes up with unconfirmed theories.

"Anyway," Sakura changed the subject "moving on to a different topic... Sasuke, Mikoto and I... we were wondering..." Sakura mewled over her words.

"Does it seem like a good time to have you join us?" It was Sasuke who interjected.

Shisui blinked; once, twice. "You're no longer in danger of being discovered and killed. Tsunade-sama will protect you from The Elders if need be, and as you said, it's important to centralize our allies and forces." Sakura tried to explain calmly. "Konoha misses you, Shisui"

_We miss you. Sasuke misses you..._

The implication was clear. "As much as I'd love to," Shisui began, "It is perhaps better to have an ally on the outside with no past." He shook his head, rejecting the offer. "My strengths will do us good here, where I can work in the background without being watched." Shisui began, "and if need be, I can come to the aid of Konoha as an undetected and random aid that they cannot see coming." He explained. "Things are better this way."

And although Sasuke knew him to be right, that didn't mean it didn't suck.

"I understand." Sakura said in confirmation, both for herself, and for Sasuke as well. "But now I think we should return to Konoha to begin arranging procedures for Suna." Sakura changed the subject altogether, standing up as an indication for Sasuke to do so as well.

Hesitantly almost, Sasuke followed suit.

"It'd be terrible of me," Shisui began, standing up, "If I just got reintroduced to my younger cousin after eleven years and didn't ask him to stick around a little longer before he take his leave." Shisui gave a small smile Sasuke's direction.

Sakura smiled at the interaction between the two male Uchihas'. "I'll tell Tsunade-sama you'll be gone an extra day, but no more Sasuke-kun."

"Is it really alright?" He looked at both Shisui and Sakura.

"I welcome you here Sasuke." Shisui was quick to dismiss him.

"And It would just be plain awful of me to deny you of this after having just been reacquainted to somebody you thought previously deceased." Sakura shook her head. "Don't worry, I'll be fine Sasuke-kun, it's just a day's travel. I'll be back home later on tonight." Sakura began stretching, walking towards the door of Shisui's quaint home. "Shisui, I know Sasuke's been dying to learn a thing or two from you. Why don't you take him out back to the forest and spar a bit with him?"

If Sakura hadn't been facing away from them, she would have been able to see the spark of excitement that flashed through both of their eyes. But why wouldn't it? It had been years since Shisui had actually sparred (Marika had once indulged him for his birthday years ago but that had been a once in a life time opportunity, for he found sparring with Marika was just terrifying), and he had been itching to get back on his feet. And well, as for Sasuke, he always loved a good battle, especially with a new opponent. "You don't have to tell us twice, Sakura." Shisui let out a grin.

"Are you sure you'll be fine Sakura?" Sasuke questioned with a pointed look. Frankly, he knew about Orochimaru wanting the Haruno, he knew first hand in all actuality, and having found out that Sakura was the heir was slightly unnerving, to say the least.

"Come on Sasuke, how often do I get into trouble?" Sakura scoffed at him, but having decided that her reputation as of late wasn't very impressive, she decided to change the subject before he could properly answer that. "I'll be fine." She stressed, allowing Sasuke to give her a small goodbye hug (she swore she would never get used to that), giving Shisui a cordial wave, and then heading off towards the exit of the village.

* * *

"Tobi is such a good boy!" Tobi shouted gleefully to himself. "Leader-sama will be so pleased with the bounty we collected today!"

Orochimaru sighed, ignoring his idiot of a teammate for what could be the twentieth time today. He swore, it felt like he was running a day-care for the mentally impaired, not running business operations for a top secret organization containing the most elite missing-nin of his generation. "Tobi, how about you go on ahead with the bounty we collected and go straight to the base?" Orochimaru suggested suddenly, mainly too irritated with the boy to continue to walk any further with him.

"And where does Orochimaru-senpai plan on going?" Tobi questioned.

"I have a lair nearby and I'd like to see how some of my experiments are doing." Orochimaru easily lied, as if it were second nature to him or something.

"And Tobi can't come along? Tobi feels like Leader-sama will be upset if we don't report to him together."

"It'll be fine Tobi, you can blame it on me if you have to."

"But Tobi doesn't want to get Orochimaru-senpai in trouble!" Tobi said in what could almost be sadness.

"Just go." Orochimaru insisted, and just for emphasis, began running off in the opposite direction that they were currently headed, back towards Kiri.

"Bye Orochimaru-senpai! Safe travels!" Tobi waved after him, waiting until Orochimaru was no longer in sight before he turned back around and began his trek alone. He swore, he had underestimated Orochimaru's patience –he had been hoping Orochimaru would leave him over an hour ago. He had nearly missed his rendezvous point with Zetsu because of it, and it would have looked highly suspicious if Zetsu was going out of his way to appear before Tobi –and although he didn't like to hand out compliments, Orochimaru was smart enough to know something was up if he were to see that.

Regardless, one way or another, he would have gotten rid of Orochimaru, he was sure.

_And the snake makes its appearance_

* * *

It was nearing midnight, Sakura was sure. Thankfully, she was pretty much away from any enemy territory, and was close to Fire Country Borders. Despite being tired, she had made a promise to Sasuke and Tsunade to be back the very same day, and she intended to at least keep that one, seeing as she had already failed in making sure she didn't travel alone. Regardless, although Himawari's pleads hadn't been unfounded, just the idea of running in to Orochimaru was absurd. _'What are the chances?' _Sakura could roll her eyes at that.

But unfortunately, it didn't seem like Lady Luck was on her side tonight...

But then again, when had it ever been, truthfully speaking?

_And the mouse makes its appearance_

* * *

It was nearing midnight and Orochimaru was just taking off from having visited his lair near the Fire Country. He knew perhaps this wasn't the safest of location to have one, but he knew there were certain perks to being so close to Konoha borders. After all, that's where his Haruno heir was, even though he didn't quite know who she was just yet (But he did have a hunch).

Unfortunately, all of his experiments thus far had turned out to be rather disappointing, so his mood was foul, topped with his irritation at having to return the Akatsuki headquarters that very same day, or Kami help him Pein would throw a fit at having disobeyed his orders.

Too caught up in his thoughts, he almost didn't sense the quickly approaching figure of a certain shinobi.

_Almost_

He bid his time patiently, hiding in the thick forests, waiting for said shinobi to pass, in fear that they would alert authorities and possibly have his base compromised. The last thing he needed was having that stupid Kyuubi brat show up and blowing a rasengan right through the heart and soul of all his experiments.

And too distracted with these thoughts, he almost didn't catch the trail of pink hair that passed right by him, the figure of a young woman, twenty at most, carelessly and effortlessly gliding through the thick and lush forests around the Fire Country.

_Almost_

But he did, and he had to do a double-take to confirm that he had indeed seen an unnatural shade of bubble-gum pink, and upon confirming that it was pink, and it was indeed natural, he couldn't help but smirk.

There was no mistaking it.

'_Well I'll be damned. Maybe Tobi is good for something after all.'_

_And the snake found its prey_

* * *

Sakura knew something was wrong, from the moment she stepped into the forest. All the creatures of the night, usually bustling in some way or another, were all but quiet, as if they were slowly watching, almost as if in fear of speaking up.

'_Mistress something feels amiss.'_ And Sakura couldn't agree more with her tree's statement, looking around suspiciously, her hands inching towards the kunai holster at her thigh.

_And the mouse stepped into the snake's trap_

* * *

All too quickly he was making handsigns, activating the traps he had set up all around the clearing, intent on not underestimating the Haruno like he had done years before. They were quick and witty and strong as hell to boot, so it was best he subdue her now and not play with his food like he had the first time around.

Toxic fumes spread around the area and by the time the poor little mouse figured out what was going on, she had already inhaled enough for it to begin affecting her balance and vision.

He watched and she quickly closed her eyes and covered her nose with her shirt, but he knew these attempts to be futile, and he knew by looking at her panicked state that she knew it too. She attempted to walk, but after having taken just a few steps, fell to the floor, too disoriented to know what side was up or even where the ground was.

Her eyes activated in a golden glow, an act that sent Orochimaru into a sadistic grin, as she searched all around her from her location on the floor, for the source of the toxin, but it was far too late by the time her eyes did manage to land on his own.

_And so the mouse fell for the trap_

* * *

She was done for.

She knew it just by seeing Orochimaru's golden orbs. She should have known something was up –all the signs had been there. She needed to get out… but how? This poison, she had never seen before. Even if she had, she didn't have an antidote on her, let alone somebody to give it to her. She noticed her limbs began to fail her, and soon enough she fell to the floor, unable to command her limbs to move.

'_Move Sakura… Move…' _she tried to tell herself, but her limbs failed to even let out a twitch. The toxin, whatever it was, worked fast, and she could feel herself slipping from reality.

'_Tree-san… help…'_

But as much as her contract wanted to, Sakura couldn't even release enough chakra for her to be able to lay a finger on the man.

_And so the mouse falls victim_

* * *

Orochimaru stepped down from the tree, cautiously approaching the fallen kunoichi. He surveyed her from a distance, waiting until he was sure she was completely immobilized, until he approached her. Their eyes met for a split second, and Orochimaru could swear that recognition flashed through her eyes –was it also fear? Dread, perhaps? She knew who he was, if not on a personal level, then perhaps from stories or bingo books. Regardless, he cared not. The flash of her golden orbs had been enough confirmation for him –he had finally captured a Haruno.

Her eyes began to slowly give out until she was fully knocked unconscious, and mentally, Orochimaru told himself that he would not fall for the trickery of the Haruno again. Fool him once, shame on you, fool him twice, shame on him, after all.

He picked up the Haruno, turning around to return to his lair near the Fire Country. But five minutes along his trip, his ring began to flash, and irritatingly, Orochimaru remembered that he was on a stupid mission that he still hadn't completed.

And so he put the Haruno down on a boulder and allowed his ring to create before him, a hologram figure of Pein. "Yes, Leader-sama?" Orochimaru tried his best to not sound angry, but he knew he was probably doing a terrible job.

"Tobi arrived hours ago. Where are you?" his voice was stoic and held much authority, which made Orochimaru that much angrier.

"I'm dealing with a prisoner, I'll be back in a few days-"

"You'll be back tonight." Pein cut him off. "This isn't some sort of bargaining or deal you can make. My organization, my rules."

"But my prisoner-"

"You'll bring him or her with you then. You'll be back tonight. Do I make myself clear, Orochimaru?"

Orochimaru glared viciously at the hologram. "Hai, Leader-sama."

And then the hologram was gone just as quickly as it had come, and Orochimaru was left fuming at nothing in particular. Leave it to Pein to beg him to join his organization, and then treat him like a puppet or some sort of washed-out rogue nin (it probably didn't help that he was paired up with the fool of the organization).

(Although if you ask Pein, he'd say something along the lines of "Leave it to Orochimaru to become the most temperamental ass in the entire organization." He had, after all, no regard for authority and was more preoccupied with his own agenda than that of Akatsuki as a whole, so he failed to be even remotely reliable when it came down to actually doing important things. Hell, he hadn't particularly even wanted Orochimaru, but he needed someone to fill the role.)

With an angry and frustrated growl, Orochimaru once more picked up the Haruno, tossing her over his shoulder, before he began making his trek to the Akatsuki base. He settled for a high-speed sprint, noticing that the sun would start to rise within two or three hours, and were he not out of the Fire Country by then, it would mean sure danger to him –after all, how does one kidnap a Haruno and expect to get away if somebody sees them? It was just highly improbable. And with that thought in mind, he took off at a high speed.

* * *

Sayuri awoke at four in the morning, as per usual to her daily routine. She'd make herself a quick breakfast, usually consisting of two pieces of toast, an egg, and some orange juice, and quickly begin training for about an hour or two with, depending on who was available, either Lee or Neji, and then begin her regular training with Ibiki starting at around 7.

But she knew that something was wrong the moment she stepped foot outside of her house, and so she abruptly turned around and went straight to Daichi's room.

"Oi. Get up." She commanded, barging into his room without knocking, as per usual.

"It's too early Sayuri. Leave me alone." He didn't even have to look at his alarm clock to know this chick was attempting to wake him up at some ungodly time of the morning, instead deciding to shove a pillow on top of his face, perhaps to drown out the sound of Sayuri's obnoxious voice, or perhaps to deny the light from reaching his eyes.

"Get up." She demanded once more, kicking the corner of his bed with enough force for it to begin shaking. "Something's wrong."

Daichi, although curious, did not get up from bed; hell, he didn't even remove the pillow from his face, expecting Sayuri to explain what exactly was so urgent to have her wake him up like this (although she would do this on a regular basis, if he were being honest. Still, she never did it under the pretext of having an emergency, and for her to do it now was rather peculiar, he had to admit).

"The Sakura trees in the compound are dying."

Daichi got up almost too quickly at her statement, deciding to go take a look for himself. Although still tired and half asleep, he did his best to pay attention as he went outside, Sayuri following shortly behind him. "Oh Kami..." He stared in disbelief; Sayuri hadn't been lying, unfortunately.

Sayuri dared asked the question plaguing both their thoughts. "Is she dead?"

There was silence as Daichi examined the tree. "I... I don't know."

For once it what could be ages, Daichi was stumped.

It didn't take long for them to awaken the remaining Harunos' and have them examine the trees themselves.

Himawari had approached the tree tentatively, placing her hand on it and pushing a pulse of chakra into it. "It is withering, not dead. It still has feint chakra signals pulsing through it." Himawari explained, opening her eyes and turning around to face her kinsmen. "It's a warning sign."

"How can you tell?" Sayuri was quick to speak up, curious as to how Himawari was able to speak to the tree.

"These trees are made with the unique ability of our kekkai genkai." Himawari stated. "As such, part of our own chakra and life energy are infused within our given tree or flower. This just means Sakura's chakra is waning. She's depleted, and she's in danger." Himawari looked straight at Hiroto. "It's got to be Orochimaru. There's no doubt about it."

Hiroto looked tentatively at the tree, almost as if hoping that by staring at it long enough that they'd be able to figure out where she was. "We need to go to the Hokage. Now." Hiroto began to turn around, briskly walking towards him home.

"Sayuri, try and see if you can track her. Have Daichi accompany you. Himawari, you and Marika come with me."

"I'm going to go see if I can get a hold of Sasuke." Marika shook her head, speeding off towards her apartment. She didn't even wait for Hiroto to agree or disagree with her. Frankly, she's the only one who knew of Shisui –the only one who knew his location other than Sakura. If Sakura was in danger there was a chance Sasuke and Shisui were too, and they needed to know everything before they get down to business. And so with this thought in mind, she raced to her apartment to write a letter.

The remaining Harunos' watched as Marika sped off, not even waiting for a response from Hiroto. "Leave her be, Sayuri, you and Daichi go. Himawari with me."

With a nod, Sayuri spun around. "I'll meet you at the Gates." And with that comment, she took off speedily, Daichi hurriedly returning to his home to get dressed.

**End of Chapter**

**And the plot thickens~~~ ;D**

**Don't worry guys, the fateful encounter between Sakura and Itachi is coming soon! Give me two or so more chapters! I am so eager to write this up you have no idea how far ahead I've gotten ^_^ **

**Questions? Conerns? Pointers? Critiques? Leave 'em all here!**

**Any and all feedback is back appreciate! The more review I get, the more likely I am to update faster guys ^_^**

**-MarzSpy**

**P.S. I'd like to do a quick little shout-out to _becauseiambatman1_ for reviewing on several of my stories so far ^-^ You've been my little inspiration for the past few weeks ^-^, and here is the new chapter a bit earlier than I wanted to post it, just for you ^-^ Hope you enjoy it!**


	4. Rescue (Again)

**Greetings! I am back with another chapter =] A little more action, a little more Itachi, a little more Kisame ^.^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form.**

**Chapter 4: Rescue (...Again)**

* * *

"_Alright, I know you two have been very hesitant about accepting a temporary teammate, but I assure you that you two will get along with him just fine." _

"_Tsunade-baachan! Why can't we just... I don't know... do duo missions until Sasuke-teme and Kakashi-sensei come back from their training? I'm sure we'd be fine." Naruto exaggerated._

_Yes, Sasuke and Kakashi had taken an extended leave for some heavy and extensive Sharingan training, leaving Sakura and Naruto stranded without a formal team -as such, they were unable to go on missions (not that Sakura could complain all too much), but it was simply driving Naruto crazy. Yet, as desperate as he was to go on a mission, he was not as willing to accept a temporary teammate and sensei._

"_No Naruto, we wouldn't," Sakura rolled her eyes at Naruto as she snapped, "because we're barely Chunin, __**I'm barely Chunin**__," she emphasized, taunting Naruto for still being a Genin, "And we still need a sensei and a traditional three-man squad to work properly." Sakura rolled her eyes once more upon seeing Naruto's defiant huff. "I'm just curious to know who our captain will be." Sakura stated._

"_His name is Yamato, he's a very skilled and adept shinobi who's worked on several occasions with Kakashi, not to worry Sakura." Tsunade dismissed her worries. Sakura nodded, figuring if he was good enough to work with Kakashi on several occasions, then he was good enough to work with them. After all, their team wasn't exactly the easiest to work with, and they were rather high-maintenance. _"_Anyway, your new teammate is right outside, be prepared to meet him." Tsunade spoke as she got up and walked towards the door, swinging it open. "Sai, come on in." she held the door open for said shinobi._

_And in walked a pale boy with stark black hair and pale features, and the first thought that crossed through her mind was "Sasuke-kun", but after looking at him a little longer she was finally able to notice the difference between the two, this boy noticeably paler and taller, and also not having a ridiculous hair-style like Sasuke._

_Meanwhile there Naruto was, slowly looking at him up and down with a scrutinizing gaze, almost as if judging his character. "I don't like him already Tsunade-baa" He looked the opposite way with a stubborn expression, his arms crossed, "he looks too much like Sasuke-teme. I'm trying to get away from him, not get an identical replacement for him." He huffed. Kami, he was sure if he could just get a few weeks alone with Sakura, enough so that she could just partially forget what Sasuke looked like, that she would instantly fall for him!_

"_Pffft. Get real Naruto no Baka." Sakura scoffed with a roll of her eyes. Sasuke be damned, she couldn't help but think. He was most definitely **not** the reason that she didn't like Naruto, but no matter how much she insisted upon the fact that she most definitely did not like Sasuke-kun like that, Naruto was still convinced that she did._

_Oh, had he said that out loud?_

_Sai blinked, a forced smile appearing on his face as he examined the interaction between his two new teammates. Was being rude a way of showing you wanted to make friends? It was worth a shot, he decided. "Nice to meet you, Dickless", he nodded towards Naruto (his formality was enough to have Naruto erupt into a fit of anger and Sakura into a fit of laughter), and then he shifted his gaze towards Sakura, who curiously blinked as she waited for Sai to address her. He opened his mouth after several seconds and muttered but just one word. "Hag"._

"..."

"..."

"_Naruto's right, take him back Tsunade-shishou."_

"_He isn't a toy you can simply return to the store Sakura." Tsunade glared at Sakura's antics -she expected this from Naruto hands down, but Sakura? She had at least expected her to be a more little civil and professional about it._

"_I'm sorry, was your nickname not to your pleasing? I was trying to capture your personality perfectly. Should I go with Ugly?"_

_From the sidelines, Naruto tensed up, never missing how the temperature around the room always got a little hotter when Sakura got angry, to the point where she was about to castrate someone. At least it wouldn't be him this this time, he couldn't help but think, gulping nervously as he saw Sakura crack her knuckles._

"_YOU BASTARD! YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT! SHANNARO!"_

"_Sakura-chan! No, wait, don't hit him ther—OHH..." Naruto tried speaking, because there was definitely no way he was going to get in between an enraged Sakura and her victim, but he flinched upon seeing her actions, feeling sorry for the guy, even if he had just met him. "No, Sakura-chan! Not there eit –oooh. Geez, that's __**gotta **__hurt. Sakura-chan doesn't even hit __**me **__there." _

"_Shut up or you're next!" Sakura shouted, returning to beating this so called Sai into a bloody pulp. She'd show him this so-called ugly personality of hers. Humpph._

_From her location on her desk, Tsunade couldn't help but sigh in dismay, shaking her head at her misfortune. Why were her shinobi so special?_

_'Thanks Kakashi' she couldn't help but think, wondering why exactly he had to kidnap Sasuke for three months for some special training._

* * *

'_**...****.-kura…'**_

'_**Sakura…'**_

'_Ughnnn…'_

When Sakura came to, she found that the only thing that awaited her was a massive headache and a pain so intolerable in her throat and limbs, she almost tried her best to allow herself to pass out once more.

Where was she? She could barely remember a damn thing, and the more she tried to think about it, the more her brain began hurting. But there was one thing she most definitely knew: Orochimaru. That damned bastard caught her for a _second time, _and part of her had a feeling she wouldn't be as lucky as the first time around, pertaining to Orochimaru discovering she was the heir, at least. Back then, she had been too old. Now, she was just the right age, and crossing out Sayuri and Himawari as possible heirs, there was really not much else to narrow down.

Kami, she was royally screwed, she just knew it. And so, knowing this, she began to pound her head against the metal bars of her cell, hoping that, if it didn't knock her out once more, at least it would numb her already unbearable headache.

"I see you've awoken."

Sakura didn't even look up, to where she knew she would inevitably find Orochimaru standing before her, and she definitely didn't bother responding to the snake bastard.

"You're pretty quick to recover from toxins." Orochimaru continued his musings.

Still, Sakura did not bother to respond.

"You seem awfully skilled to be able to get up after all the drugs I've pumped in your body. Could it be that you've encountered them before?"

And oh my Kami, this man would just _not _shut up. As an afterthought, she thought that yes, she had encountered them before, not this exact type of poison but if she was hypothesizing correctly, this must have been Sasori's poison, for she knew there was no way she would have recovered as quickly as she had were it not. She should have feigned still being knocked out, she was sure of it, for now she more than positively wouldn't be able to get him to stop. "Where am I?" she asked him, her tone rude and her eyes glaring fiercely at him.

"You're currently deep underground in the Akatsuki base." Orochimaru replied, almost as if being respectful or cordial about the matter. Like it mattered anyhow, it wasn't like any village knew where that was, and even if they did, there was no way they would try to infiltrate the base. Not to mention that there was no way of escape for the kunoichi –her reserves were all but depleted, to the point where she should barely even be able to stand. But he supposed, he had been proven wrong before, but that was why he had taken extra precautions as well.

Sakura asked nothing more –she didn't need to, and frankly, doing so would only encourage Orochimaru to speak more.

"You're the heir, aren't you?" Orochimaru inquired with a slick smirk.

Sakura said nothing, but it seemed to Orochimaru that her silence was sufficient enough information to reveal the truth. And with that, he walked out, clearly satisfied with himself, and in particular his find.

Sakura's heart beat increased as she watched him walk out. She had to think of a way out of here. _Fast._

_**'Sakura...'** _she could hear Matsuro's worried voice within her.

_'Don't worry, I'll find a way out of here...'_

**_'I'm going to try and find a way to get you out of here Sakura, don't worry.'_**

But Sakura shook her head at Matsuro's comment. _'It's best you remain safe, Matsuro. I'll be fine. You need to make sure Orochimaru doesn't get his hands on you.' _Sakura was implying that Matsuro should leave and reseal herself inside the scroll Sakura had found her in all those years ago. She had, after all, left it among her belongings at home, and Matsuro would definitely be safer there where she could not interfere and get in trouble.

_**'But Sakura-'**_

_'I'll be fine,' _Sakura stressed once more. '_I'll figure out a way out of here, I promise.'_

Matsuro said nothing, merely looking at Sakura skeptically, but complying nonetheless. _**'If you need me, you'll know where to find me.'**_And just like that, Matsuro was gone, and she felt the sudden silence sink in -it was kind of lonely, actually, having been used to two beings in her head prior to returning to her present time. But this was better, Sakura decided. Matsuro could finally rest, no longer using her own power to remain outside of her scroll. Now, she had to find a way to get the hell out of here.

* * *

"What do you mean she's been _captured?_"

"The tree doesn't lie Tsunade-sama." Himawari stressed. "Okaa-san taught me about the vitality and life of the tree imprinted upon us before she passed. There's no way I have this wrong."

"And you're sure it's Orochimaru?"

"We have no way of knowing." Hiroto spoke up this time from his position alongside Himawari. "But we don't want to take the risk if it is."

Tsunade bit her thumb as she processed the information before her. Goddamn it, it was five in the morning, she had been rudely woken up from her sleep, and now _this. _She could hardly think straight. "Get Kakashi in here now, and don't you _dare _let Naruto find out about this."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Hiroto bowed as he quickly took off towards the direction he knew to be Kakashi's apartment.

"Himawari, you go wake up Mikoto and explain the situation to her."

"Right away Tsunade-sama." And she too, was gone in a flash.

"AND SOMEBODY BRING ME SOME DAMN SAKE!"

But this proclamation fell on deaf ears, seeing as the only two shinobi currently awake had already left her office.

* * *

It was now nearing ten in the morning, and it had been roughly five hours since Tsunade was alerted of the possible kidnapping of Sakura.

"There's no way she wouldn't have been back by now. She promised she'd make it back in a day." Himawari stressed, nervously pacing Tsunade's office back and forth.

"Sasuke's missing too." Tsunade narrowed her eyes.

Just then, before they could speak anymore, Marika burst through the door. "I bring word from Sasuke." She was panting, having rushed over here as soon as she could.

All eyes turned to Marika, including Mikoto's, who had a look of complete terror in her face up until the mention of Sasuke's letter, and inadvertently, his safety. Marika rushed towards the Hokage and handed her the letter, allowing her time to read the letter she had already ripped open and read while she ran here.

"Apparently Sasuke stayed behind an extra day and Sakura returned without him that same night. _Yesterday."_ Tsunade spoke out loud, emphasizing the day. Although Mikoto was glad at knowing her boy was safe and sound, she couldn't help but fear for Sakura's sake. "Write back to Sasuke and tell him to get back here as soon as he can. Explain the situation." Tsunade returned the letter to Marika, who, with a quick nod, began to leave, but before she could take her leave through the window, two figures suddenly appeared with a poof in front of Tsunade, in a usual form of formality.

"Tsunade-sama." They greeted, standing up to reveal themselves as Daichi and Sayuri.

"With the help of my lilies, I was able to track Sakura's chakra patterns. It was strongest nearing the borders of the Fire Country." Sayuri began. "But there were also notable traces and high dosages of a poison, of which I haven't come across before." Sayuri explained. "Due to the poison, I wasn't able to track her much further, as it seems that her chakra was depleted or altogether blocked somewhere around the area, but it seemed to be headed away from the Fire Country, possibly westwards, before it grew too feint."

"Based on how little of a fight there seemed to be it's easy to assume that Sakura was caught off guard." Daichi spoke up promptly after Sayuri finished. "There are no indications of a fight anywhere in the area except for a lone kunai on the floor, presumably Sakura's," And as he said this, he pulled out the kunai, placing it on Tsunade's desk, who was quick to examine it and confirm that it was indeed a kunai crafted in Konoha. "Whoever did this caught her off guard and kidnapped her without a fight. That is indicative that the kidnapper must be a high-caliber ninja, which goes along with our theory that it might be Orochimaru."

"Damn it." Tsunade let out a whisper as she bit her thumb, contemplating their next move.

"Marika, you excel highly with poisons; go send that letter and have Sayuri and Daichi accompany you back to the site. Figure out the toxin, what it does, and what was in it, and then report back to me." Tsunade ordered.

With a quick "Hai," all three of them left respectively.

The remaining occupants in the room, Kakashi, Mikoto, Hiroto and Himawari, all looked at her expectantly. "Assuming this was Orochimaru, there's a high probability that he fled to Akatsuki. We can't let Naruto find out until we can assess everything for sure. Be on high alert and await my instructions until Marika returns with an analysis of the toxin."

"Tsunade-sama, shouldn't we send out a few units? Perhaps we could pick up a scent. Kurenai's team are a strong tracker team, perhaps we could-" Kakashi tried to suggest, but Tsunade cut him off.

"Sending out a team so suddenly would alert people. We don't need Naruto to put two and two together just yet. We can't have him going commando and shouting in front of the Akatsuki base while they're down our throats." Tsunade shook her head. "We wait until we have confirmation that it's Akatsuki before we make a plan. Dismissed." Tsunade hurriedly turned around and returned to her desk and the remaining shinobi one by one left her office.

Once gone, Tsunade allowed herself to slam her fist on her desk, enough brute force to break it in half, and have all the paperwork that had been left on her desk to fly upwards. "Damn it Sakura..."

* * *

"Sakura's been captured..." It had been but a whisper on Sasuke's behalf as he dropped the letter that he had just received from Marika's jasmine bud to the floor. It was foreboding enough that Marika had sent Shisui a letter demanding he tell them where Sakura and Sasuke were, and if they had left already, and now this...

Shisui looked back at him, his eyes wide in confusion but remaining relatively collected. "What?" He couldn't have possibly heard that right.

Sasuke turned to look at Shisui. "She's been captured Shisui... They think it's Orochimaru." He stood there, stunned for several seconds. "I have to get back." He was gone before Shisui could even have time to respond or bid him good-bye.

And as he sped off, faster than he had thought himself possible of, one thought struck him. _'This is my fault.' _Because had he been a responsible shinobi and friend, he would have known that Sakura's safety was more important than his selfish desires. He knew Orochimaru was looking for her, knew that Himawari had specifically requested she not travel alone, and he failed to comply to even these wishes.

Shisui was quick to pick up the letter Sasuke had dropped, reading over the contents fairly quickly.

_Return as soon as possible. Sakura's missing. There seems to have been a confrontation somewhere in between Konoha and your current location. We think it's Orochimaru._

Shisui crumbled the piece of paper. God damn it Sakura. He hurriedly returned to his study, grabbed a piece of paper, and sloppily wrote one single sentence on it.

_Keep me posted._

_-S.U._

He rolled it up, returning it to the jasmine bud that was still sitting atop his flower pot -it had been a way Marika and he communicated whenever they needed to. The jasmine bud wrapped itself around the rolled up scroll, and suddenly sunk back into the soil, disappearing.

And then he returned to his room, taking out a variety of weapons he hadn't touched in nearly a decade.

* * *

Kami she was hungry.

Sakura groaned, banging her head against the solid rock wall behind her. Being chained was no fun; having no chakra was especially no fun. And being hungry? Well, it just made her cranky -mad, even.

But, at least, Sakura tried look on the positive side of things, she could see, which was a vast improvement from when Orochimaru had captured her in the past, and she also knew where she currently was –sort of.

She was in the Akatsuki base, obviously, but she couldn't exactly calculate where. She had been knocked out for who knows how long, so she couldn't calculate the day or the hour that she had arrived –if she could, she could perhaps calculate how far away she was from her original kidnap point, which would have been helpful.

Kami this sucked.

Before Sakura could have any more time to think to herself about how much this sucked, a door opened, and she could hear steps –no doubt Orochimaru's, as he approached her cell. He dropped down a small metal tray and kicked it in, Sakura staring at its contents, a piece of dry bread and a bottled water, almost as if he had been reading her mind.

She refused to stare at him as she reached out for the tray and quickly took the bottled water, refusing to give him the satisfaction of eating the food –who knew what he had done to it anyway. It was probably laced with all sorts of drugs and poisons, and Sakura was clearly not stupid enough to accept that. "So what's your name, Haruno-chan?" he questioned with an amused smirk.

"Go to hell." she grumbled, wiping her mouth from the water that was currently dripping from it.

"Come on, I gave you some food, how about you do me the favor of telling me your name? A favor for a favor." he insisted. Sakura grabbed the tray and quickly chucked it towards Orochimaru, having it hit the metal bars loudly and then promptly hit the ground, the bread all but forgotten in the dirty floor. "My, that's not very nice." Orochimaru mused.

Once more, Sakura refused to speak to him, settling instead for turning around, refusing to face the Snake Sannin, mentally snorting and thinking _kidnapping a person twice and trying to take over their body isn't nice_.

"It's fine, if you want food, you'll have to speak to me eventually."

Sakura sneered at his comment, mentally thinking _'Try me, you snake bastard.'_, but said nothing to him. After all, it would only fuel him.

Promptly afterwards, Sakura heard steps getting further away, until she heard the door shut close –she was alone once again.

_'Alright Sakura, you've got one shot.' _she mentally told herself, closing her eyes and concentrating the chakra in her core. The poison's effects were waning, just the slightest bit, and as such she had just the smallest window of opportunity.

* * *

"The toxins were made specifically for shutting down the nervous system, as well as the chakra pathways, to induce temporary paralysis and chakra block." Marika spoke. "The poison is highly advanced, and I've only ever seen a poison of this caliber on one other occasion." Marika spoke, regret filling her entire body as she mustered up the strength to say the next few words. "This poison is no doubt Sasori of the Red Sand's expert work."

And there it was –all the confirmation they needed. This was Akatsuki they were dealing with, there was no doubt about it.

"Send the tracker team." Tsunade merely stated.

"Hai." Sayuri was already on the floor bowing, and as soon as Tsunade gave her command, she had disappeared, racing to find Kurenai's tracker team.

* * *

Upon reaching Konoha, Sasuke took a speedy run towards the Hokage tower. Halfway there, he was joined by Naruto, who was looking as goofy and childish as ever –it almost pissed Sasuke off, he decided, glancing at the blonde with an annoyed look.

"Hey Sasuke-teme, wanna go get some ramen? I haven't eaten yet."

Sasuke chose to ignore him, knowing that talking would only make him lash out at Naruto. But how could he not? The past seven hours all he could think was that Sakura, his Sakura-neechan, was gone, _kidnapped,_ and it was all his fault. _His fault. _

"Come on, it's not that early, you shouldn't even be this moody." He tried to nudge Sasuke, but just the slightest touch and Sasuke turned on him with a glare so ferocious, grabbing the collar of his jacket and lifting him up menacingly, his anger spiked and his Sharingan activated.

"Back off." he released Naruto suddenly, somewhat shoving him, and then he was back to running speedily towards the Hokage tower, his point having been made -get the hell out of my way.

Naruto tried to catch up to him, but upon thinking about the vicious-ness in Sasuke's tone, his steps faltered, watching as Sasuke kept on running, just now taking in the fact that Sasuke was running at top speed towards the Hokage tower. He caught up easily within a matter of seconds, suddenly realizing that something was off, and it made Sasuke upset, whatever it was. "What happened? And say, weren't you on a mission with Sakura-chan?"

And the fact that Sasuke didn't dare look at him in the eye was enough to tell him something was seriously, _seriously _wrong.

Both of them stopped running, Naruto suddenly becoming more aggressive, and Sasuke realizing that no one had told Naruto. "Sasuke-teme, where's Sakura-chan?" Silence erupted between the two of them, and right around the eighth or so second Naruto became extremely aggressive, it now being his turn to lift Sasuke by the collar as he looked away uncomfortably. "Where is Sakura-chan, Sasuke?" the nickname was gone, thrown out the window, indicating Sasuke that he was no longer messing around.

He turned to look at Naruto, and the look Sasuke gave him was enough to have dread fill Naruto's being, as he hurriedly released Sasuke and opted to run to the Hokage tower.

* * *

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME SHE WAS MISSING?!" Naruto cried out, enraged, as he punched Tsunade's wall, noticing her desk couldn't even be punched anymore –it was already castrated, after all. How did she manage to get captured by Akatsuki? That was _his_ job, not hers, god damn it! The thought made his anger double, his hands balling into tight fists.

"Because you'd be reacting exactly as you are now." Tsunade glared, although trying her best to speak calmly.

"What are we all doing here? Why aren't we moving?!" Naruto demanded, looking around at the occupants in the room, comprised of Marika, Hiroto, Himawari, Mikoto, and Kakashi.

They all opted to remain silent, having no response to Naruto's question. Hiroto, Himawari, and Marika were all shifting uncomfortably from where they stood, wishing they could do just that but knowing they could not act without Tsunade's permission, whereas Kakashi and Mikoto stood there quietly, observing the situation and waiting for Tsunade's response (Kakashi had, after all, long ago suggested they send the tracker team, and that was all that could be done for the time being). Sasuke from alongside him said nothing, although he couldn't agree more.

"Sayuri, Daichi, and Shikamaru are all figuring out where they could have possibly taken her. We're doing everything we can right now. But you, _you're _not moving a muscle, you hear me?"

Naruto's nose flared in out-right defiance as he looked at Tsunade, his fists balled and his body exuding raw anger and power. He didn't say a word though –and honestly, that was worse than him screaming, Tsunade decided upon little thought. She preferred a contemptuous Naruto than an outright silent one –who ever knew what was going on in that head of his, and giving him time to think was never something she would want.

Before any moves could be made though, Shikamaru walked in with Sayuri and Daichi following slightly behind him, refusing to knock on the door to an office he practically shared with their lazy Hokage. "Doing a rough sketch, it's gotta be somewhere towards Suna." Shikamaru began, not bothering with the formal greetings. "Which makes sense, considering two out of four of the Jinchuuriki remaining happen to be smack in the middle of that. I'd say they'll be in between, somewhere in the border. If they made a base near Kumo and Konoha they would have literally sandwiched themselves, so the probability is unlikely. Where they're at now, they have safe zones in Amegakure and even Rock Country, and not to mention all of the Wind Country leaves them nearly impossible to track or chase." Shikamaru explained.

They sat in silence for a long time as they processed this information. "Alright, Kakashi, I want three teams. Team A will consist of Kakashi, Ino, and Sai. Team B, Sasuke," she gave him a nod as she picked him as leader, "Himawari, and Marika. Team C will be Hiroto, Sayuri, and Daichi." She stated. "You'll all go to the designated point in which Sakura was extracted and make your move from there. Spread out and search. You'll each meet up with a member of Team 8 and obtain a tracker to help you look. Do not make any confrontations if it's more than one Akatsuki member. If we're lucky we can cause enough of a distraction to allow Sakura enough time to escape or at least locate her." Tsunade sighed. "And Naruto, you are to stay here-" Tsunade said, her eyes landing on Naruto,

At least, they would have, had he not already vanished.

"Damn it..." Tsunade shook her head. That temperamental kid never listened to a word she said! What was the use of being kage if she couldn't even protect their Jinchuuriki? "Just go! Go get Ino and Sai and just go! And get that boy and make sure he doesn't get himself killed!" she dismissed them all with several angry waves of her hands, sick and tired of the way her shinobi just constantly did as they wanted and went and did stupid things.

They were all gone in a flash.

* * *

'_Akatsuki took Sakura-chan...' _the thought made Naruto push chakra into his feet and run even faster. He had been gone the moment Shikamaru had said westward –in between Suna and Konoha. That was all he needed. He'd lure them all out and get Sakura-chan by force if need be.

And now he was on his way towards the borders of the Fire Country, and trailing along some kilometers behind him, he was sure, was bound to be Sasuke and Kakashi, and perhaps even Marika and Himawari. But he didn't care; they'd only be getting in his way. He couldn't fight recklessly if they were alongside him, after all.

Within the next half an hour, the distance between them had grown considerably smaller, Naruto having slowed down after he calmed down slightly, and within the next fifteen or so minutes of that, Kakashi, Sai, and Sasuke were alongside him.

"You're not supposed to be he here dobe." Sasuke mentioned absent-mindedly, staring up ahead as they ran.

"You going to stop me?" he grumbled in response, angry.

"Hn" Sasuke mumbled, and because Sasuke hadn't made any move to stop him, it was safe to say that he meant no.

"You have has much right as anybody to be worried for her Naruto." Kakashi commented, allowing himself to glance at Naruto for the slightest of seconds "But that doesn't give you the right to go off on your own for a suicide rescue mission." Kakashi explained.

"Let us all share the burden of saving her, Naruto." Sasuke said slowly. "It's all my fault for allowing her to travel by herself anyway." Sasuke looked down in bitter resentment.

"You couldn't have predicted the outcome of your decisions either, Spineless." Sai stated quietly, calling Sasuke by the name he had created over four years ago when they were first introduced to each other.

"But I knew I should have left with her." Sasuke said bitterly, his hands balling up into fists.

"We can play the who's-fault-is-it-anyway game after Sakura's safe." Kakashi interrupted. "For now, it is crucial we get her back." Because as Kakashi had learned over eleven years ago, Sakura was a vital piece of the puzzle. They needed her and her power and skill, regardless of whether or not she had yet achieved her utmost potential –which she hadn't, if he were being honest. If she was strong enough to take on an Akatsuki member and win at the age of fifteen, without the help of her kekkei genkai or having any knowledge of it, for that matter, Sakura would be a star to exceed the expectations of Konoha in the future.

She was a rising star alongside Sasuke and Naruto, and the three of them, he was proud to say as their sensei, would go down in history as Legends.

"We'll be arriving at our destination in approximately fifteen minutes." Sai commented in the sidelines.

Kakashi nodded. "Let's return to formation. Naruto, you stick with me."

And so it had been.

* * *

"Word has it Sasori and Deidara are going to be after the One-tail pretty soon."

"Hn"

"I have a feeling Pein-sama will have us all searching for the Six-tail pretty soon, though."

"It is likely."

"It sounds like a pain."

"Hn"

Conversations with Itachi were rare in and of itself. Kisame didn't mind though –he'd take Itachi any day over somebody like Deidara or Tobi. Plus, although he wouldn't ever really admit it, he had grown fond of Itachi. He was a smart kid, capable of pulling his own weight (and even Kisame's, if he were being serious), and, although they had rather opposite personalities, they had a similar approach to their way of life, and Kisame deeply respected that. Plus, it never did hurt that they have a friend in common –or had, for that matter. Although he hadn't gotten much of an opinion on Itachi eleven years ago when they had first met due to the kunoichi, he had noticed Itachi's loyalty, and it had been attractive enough of an attribute for Kisame to respond well enough to Itachi for the years that came.

A crow suddenly appeared from the distance, flying towards them until it perched itself atop Itachi's shoulder.

"Konoha-nin are headed our way." He spoke quietly.

"How many?" Kisame questioned.

"Thirteen, three groups." Itachi said quietly. "They're stretched out over a large area."

"Search party?" Kisame questioned, an eyebrow raised in question.

"Seems likely. The Kyuubi is among them." Itachi confirmed.

"Oh?" Kisame piped in, intrigued. "Should we try to capture him?" he questioned.

Itachi did not speak for a while. "We are close to headquarters. Bringing attention upon ourselves may not be a good idea."

"Unless they're _searching _for headquarters." Kisame emphasized.

But what were the chances of that? Deciding that Kisame had brought up a good point, he sent his bird off once more, and they continued on their journey back to the base in a calm walk. Fifteen minutes later, the crow came back, and Itachi couldn't help but wonder how much more idiotic Konoha nin could get.

"Disrupt them." He merely commented, and it was enough to have a grin emerge from Kisame's face. "Sounds like fun." he shifted his sword slightly, making it a little more accessible for him.

* * *

"Kakashi-san." Hinata was quick to speak up, leading the front of the group alongside Kakashi.

"Hai?"

"I'm seeing two figures approaching us fast." She spoke nervously. "I think they might be-" Hinata didn't have time to finish as Kakashi suddenly swapped courses, abruptly jumping to the left, leaving Hinata and the rest of their team no choice but to follow.

"See if they're following us." Kakashi commented.

And indeed, after a few minutes, they had changed their course as well. "H-Hai."

Kakashi abruptly stopped dead in their tracks, looking around carefully.

"What's the meaning of this Kakashi?" Kakashi did not bother to respond to Ino's question, who settled for looking at Hinata curiously. She looked down hesitantly, not wanting to face them and tell them the truth.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, watching as Kakashi suddenly pulled off his mask and allowed his Sharingan eye to open. He looked up, examining their surroundings, and visibly tensed up once it seemed he had spotted what he had been looking for.

"Itachi's crows have been tailing us for who knows how long now." He covered his Sharingan once again. Ino, Sai, and Naruto all tensed up at the statement, as he looked back at Hinata. "That's no doubt Kisame Hoshigaki and Itachi Uchiha approaching us now."

"What are your orders?" Sai asked.

"We don't have much of a choice now." Kakashi sighed, giving Naruto a pointed look. "And this is why you remain in Konoha next time." He tried not to roll his eyes. "Hinata, once confrontation occurs, you sneak away and alert the others. There's no way they'll try to fight amongst a group of twelve."

"H-Hai!" Hinata squeaked.

"Ino, you are our healer, stay back until needed. I'll handle Itachi. Sai, Naruto, you two focus your strengths on Kisame."

"Roger"

"Hai"

"You got it"

* * *

"Look what we have here. The Nine-Tails practically delivered to our feet. What a nice present." Kisame sneered in mock gratitude.

Naruto didn't speak up, knowing that Kisame was just trying to rile him up. Instead, it was Kakashi who spoke. "You have our friend. We want her back." Kakashi simply stated, taking this time to size up their opponents.

"Oh?" Kisame questioned, temporarily flashing Itachi a small glance, almost as if asking if he had any idea about what they were talking about. "I'm sorry but I can assure you if we had your friend, I reckon she is long gone by now." Kisame noticed how the Kyuubi brat suddenly took a menacing step forward, and inwardly grinned, knowing he hit a soft spot.

"Don't... don't speak about her that way." Naruto glared. "Give her back." He demanded, suddenly feeling anger well up within him, much sooner than he had expected it to come -was this Kyuubi's doing?

Kisame sneered. "You're awful demanding for someone who's about to get the life sucked out of them... At least you'll be reunited with your friend, right? She must have been in so much pain up until her death. Trust me, she's in a better place."

"Kisame" Itachi warned quietly, although Kisame settled for flashing him a grin, almost as if assuring Itachi that he knew what he was doing.

Naruto's eyes grew red, and cautiously, Kakashi called out his name, but to no avail. "Sakura-chan is alive. I know she is." Naruto glared viciously, suddenly attacking head on.

But he wasn't the only one. All at once a flurry of ink lions pounced from all directions towards the two Akatsuki members, but both seemed prepared, Itachi un-moving as Kisame began fighting with Naruto. He pulled out several shuriken and in the blink of an eye, all the ink lions fell down in splotches, leaving Kisame to deal with the Jinchuuriki in peace. Before he could watch the scene unfold before him, Kakashi was suddenly on top of him, a Raikiri aimed at his abdomen, but even this he saw coming, and as it was piercing his skin, the real Itachi was already halfway across the battlefield hurling a fire jutsu at Kakashi.

'_So fast.' _Kakashi barely had time to react once he realized the Itachi he had just blasted a hole through was a fake, getting out with just a few seconds to spare. Kakashi noted that, ally or not, Kakashi had to go at him with the intent to kill -or else he'd end up dead, he was sure.

Itachi allowed himself the time to look over at Kisame's fight, who was hardly struggling while holding off two men, all the while snickering and taunting Naruto with talks of a deceased "Sakura-chan".

But this didn't cease Naruto's angry outburst, and if anything fueled him to far greater lengths. At one point, Kisame knocked him with full force backwards, and he suddenly set his eyes on Itachi, completely forgetting his previous target. "Where is Sakura-chan?! Give her back!"

Partially annoyed at realizing Kisame had angered the Jinchuuriki to the point where his red demonic chakra began leaving his body and had quite literally tossed him to Itachi to take care of, he couldn't help but ignore Kakashi as his attention focused on Naruto, one tail already successfully formed and the other, he was sure, not short from it as well.

"We don't have your precious Sakura-chan, but we'll gladly take you!" Kisame grinned, getting out his Sameheda and easily shredding through all of the ink lions that Sai sent his way.

And there he was, yet again, taunting the Kyuubi that _he _wasn't dealing with.

"You're lying!" he sneered, fangs protruding from his mouth, his eyes flashing red as he glared at Itachi. "Give her back to me!" And suddenly they both clashed, and it was too much for any of the remaining members on the field to take, as Naruto's great momentum kicked up trees and dirt and rocks all around them.

Naruto backed off, the nails on his hands and feet now more identifiable as claws as he got on all fours.

"Naruto, Itachi is not your target." Kakashi tried his best not to shout, noticing that Naruto was becoming much more unstable than he had predicted -at least, definitely much quicker. "Control yourself now Naruto! Don't let that beast take control of you." He tried to demand, but Naruto heeded no warning as he charged once more at Itachi, who made quick work of dodging and evading everything Naruto threw at him. Mentally, Naruto tried to heed Kakashi's advice but everywhere he saw, everything was red and he had the strongest desire he had ever felt to shred someone to pieces. Is this perhaps the animosity and killing intent that Gaara experienced due to Shukaku? It sure felt like it.

Before Kakashi could try to even stop Naruto, there was suddenly a Sameheda inches from his face, and had it not been for Sai's tanto, he was sure he would have been shredded. When had Kisame grown so fast?

As Kakashi looked back at Naruto, he saw Itachi quickly go through a set of handseals, and recognizing it, turned around rapidly, only to see that Kisame was no longer in the clearing. "Everybody back!" he ordered, and it took no time for Sai and Ino to get the message that something bad was going to happen –hell, even Kisame had bailed out of the clearing, knowing this.

And suddenly a giant explosion erupted, one so great that it knocked all three of the Konoha shinobi right off their feet and had them face first into the ground by the sheer shock-wave of the explosion, even though they had already backed off considerably.

Before the dust even cleared, they could already tell that Naruto would be in serious trouble. "Ino, get ready to heal him." Kakashi demanded, going back in, Sharingan activated, to try and obtain Naruto before either Kisame or Itachi got their hands on him.

And so they quickly fled the scene, Naruto tossed over Kakashi's back, Sai using his ink summonings to buy them time to escape.

* * *

"Is it fine to just let them go?" Kisame asked from atop a tree, watching as the three shinobi scurried off, the older of the three carrying a wounded Jinchuuriki.

"A full-scale confrontation is not necessary right now." Itachi merely replied, watching their retreating figures for a few seconds before turning around and walking away. Kisame followed suit a few seconds afterwards.

"I wonder who it is they think we have." Kisame pondered out loud.

Itachi flashed him a glance for a split second, before staring back ahead. "No clue."

And he could have never guessed either.

* * *

"We're back."

There were no words exchanged between the Akatsuki members, as usual, as Kisame and Itachi stepped inside the base, or more specifically, the kitchen/living room of the organization. Looking around, they found only Sasori and Deidara, Orochimaru probably off doing some creepy experiments and Tobi, well, who exactly knew, but who exactly cared anyway?

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you got in an altercation." Kisame turned to see Sasori examining them. "Based on the singeing of your coat." Sasori pointed to the hem of Itachi's sleeves. Itachi did not bother with a response.

"Just a few pesky shinobi getting too close for comfort to the base, was all." Kisame responded, dismissing Sasori's curiosity.

Deidara stared for a few seconds, before he turned back to Sasori. "As I was saying Sasori-danna, I caught a peek of her; nothing that you'd imagine Orochimaru taking interest in, un."

"You snuck into his lab?" Sasori questioned –if Orochimaru ever found out, well, there'd be hell to pay.

Deidara shook his head. "Orochimaru has her locked up in the prison cells, yeah. Hasn't touched her since he dropped her off, un. Rather strange, no? He would have usually placed _at least _the cursed seal on her by now."

"It is rather odd. Then again, I don't particularly care." Sasori explained, brushing his teammate aside. When had it ever looked like he was interested in gossip, or about Orochimaru's business, especially? Just because he and Orochimaru had been teammates up until Hidan's and Kakuzu's defeat didn't mean he was buddies with the Snake Sannin, after all.

"Well, I don't particularly care either un. She just had the strangest pink hair I've ever seen, un."

And from their location, walking out of the kitchen and heading to their respective rooms, neither Itachi nor Kisame could stop themselves from overhearing this piece of information. The difference was, Kisame turned back; Itachi did not.

"Did you say pink hair?" Kisame questioned.

Both pairs of eyes turned to Kisame, blinking curiously. "Yeah" Deidara confirmed. "It's weird, right, un?"

"Yeah... how long ago was she brought here?" Kisame ignored Deidara's question for the most part.

"I'd say just the other day, un." Deidara responded, a raised eyebrow curiously wondering why Kisame was inquiring.

"Did you manage to catch a look at her eyes at all?" Kisame questioned.

In response, Deidara shook his head. "She had been passed out when I went in there. Such a shame too, she's actually kind of cute, yeah. If she had green eyes she'd look just like a little porcelain doll."

At the mention of "doll" Sasori's ears perked up in interest, but he said nothing.

"Did you see around how old she looked?" Kisame asked.

"Possibly around twenty; who knows, un. I'm not good with age, yeah. Why, do you know her Kisame?" Deidara questioned in interest. Sasori as well looked on, waiting for an answer.

"Uhhmm, no not particularly, she just sounds like somebody I used to know, is all."

"Oh" Deidara said nothing more. "Used to?" he questioned.

Kisame confirmed. "She's uhh..." he held back the urge to look upset at his next words, "she's long gone now. Dead."

"Oh..." Deidara said nothing more, absent-mindedly wondering when it was that Kisame ever bothered to make friends in the past, not at all surprised by the news; they were shinobi after all, short life spans were to be expected. Plus, it wasn't like the Bloody Mist was exactly known for being amiable with people. Then again, he guessed he couldn't talk -he blew people up for a living and he still enjoyed the company of his danna.

'_It couldn't be... could it?' _Kisame thought, not paying attention as Deidara and Sasori, once again, got into another argument about art (brought upon by Deidara's mention that the girl looked like a "doll").

And from his place on the other side of the wall, Itachi also quickly walked off before Kisame noticed that he had been there the entire time. After a few minutes, Kisame was alongside him, seemingly unaware of the fact that Itachi had been eavesdropping in a sense. "Umm... Itachi...?" he didn't know how to bring it up –but he was sure that Itachi had heard the same thing he had.

_Her hair was pink_

And if Konoha-nin accusing Akatsuki of kidnapping a friend, a female friend, was an indication of anything, it was that whoever Orochimaru had, _whoever the pink-haired, twenty-ish year old person was, _she was from Konoha, and her name was Sakura, and that was enough of a coincidence for him to feel awfully uncomfortable.

"Do you... do you think this is... _that _Sakura?"

Itachi didn't dare respond to that. Because he dare not think it, after ten years, that it was her. Even if the eerie coincidence was enough to set his heart beating a little faster, he knew the chances, _when his mother herself had told him that Sakura was gone, _were so small he shouldn't even think it.

After about a minute, Kisame simply gave up on an answer from him. Frankly, he knew it wasn't in his place to ask or inquire anyway. Itachi had told him she was dead, so why should he even bother? Itachi had been certain, and he could still remember the day as if it were just yesterday.

* * *

_Kisame hadn't really expected himself to do this. But after assassinating several political heads from Kirigakure and receiving a tempting offer to boot, there wasn't much of anywhere else to go or much to refuse, for that matter. He liked power, so why not join the organization with their eyes set on dominating the entire world –a world of truth? It seemed fitting, he thought. "Kisame Hoshigaki" Kisame looked up from his musings to see their "Leader", ready to assign him his partner –hopefully he wouldn't be too annoying, or too much of an incapable weakling. The only thing he hated more than an annoying person was someone who couldn't pull their own weight. "Your partner," he stated, as Kisame stared at the door expectantly, hearing footsteps approaching._

_And in walks Itachi Uchiha, and for a second, Kisame couldn't believe that he was actually seeing Itachi for the second time in his life. "You've gotta be kidding me!" he watched in disbelief as Itachi approached Kisame, staring at him as recognition flashed through his eyes. _

"_Meet Itachi Uchiha."_

_Somehow, he felt like this partnership would pardon a friendship._

_With a nod and a formal greeting, the hologram of their leader disappeared and Kisame and Itachi were sent off on their first mission together._

"_Never thought I'd see you again, kid." Kisame mused. It must have been over a year since they had last seen each other, 'thanks to Sakura,' he thought, and the kid was barely fourteen, if that, and was probably one of the deadliest people in this organization, he had to admit._

"_Hn" was the most Itachi bothered with as far as a response goes, but he was walking alongside Kisame, an action that merited some points for the Uchiha anyway. He wasn't known for being amiable after all, so even this courteous gesture was enough to show Kisame that Itachi was giving him some form of respect, a sign that he clearly remembered the Kiri-nin. _

_Kisame was smart enough to not ask about his family –even he had heard of the terrible massacre. At least, Kisame could somewhat relate. _"_You left the kitten." Kisame acknowledged somewhat warily. Even though he had only seen their interactions for a few days tops when he had gone on that silly rescue mission to save that pink hairball, it had been enough to identify that whatever 'it' was, it was there –something, not completely tangible and full-proof, but the emotions had definitely been there, for both the kunoichi and the S-Class missing-nin that stood before him._

_Itachi didn't bother to respond –the emotions were still there. They were fresh and the wounds were still wide open, even though he did a spectacular job at hiding it._

"_And how is she doing?" Kisame was genuinely curious, not letting the lack of response deter him from asking about her, knowing by now that Itachi wasn't much of a talker anyway –he had made a friend in her, albeit, she was sort of like a child compared to him, but she had been knowledgeable beyond her years and had made for easy-going company, despite the fact that he was a seven foot tall monster with nothing but malicious intent._

"_She is dead"._

_The words that left Itachi's mouth left Kisame frozen to the spot, as he pondered this information. Itachi did not bother to wait for him, going on ahead, noticing how the words had left an distasteful bitter taste in his mouth. Because even if he didn't know if it was true or not, it is what Madara believed, and it is what Madara had to keep believing if Itachi wanted to remain an ally to him for the time being. And, not to mention, if she were alive, then where was she? Mikoto confirmed it herself that she was gone, and could offer him no more than that. Meanwhile, there Kisame was, wondering what exactly he had meant by that. There were two options: Either his clan had killed her, or ... well, he had._

_Frankly, he didn't have the guts to ask him which it was, but it was obvious enough, if his demeanor was any indication of it, that it still affected him, and Kisame had no right to do this to him._

"_I'm sorry" was all he commented, once he caught up to Itachi's pace and was once again walking alongside him._

"_Hn"_

_He had no words to say to that, so instead opted to remain silent. But, Kisame thought, perhaps this was better for the Uchiha kid anyway. Love warranted no place for someone living in their line of work. He had gotten to dip his feet in, get a feel for it, and for having been able to do even that, the kid was blessed, Kisame couldn't help but think._

__And if Kisame knew a little more Uchiha language at that point in time, he would have known that Itachi was trying to say "I'm sorry too." __

* * *

Kisame sighed. There was simply no way... but it would be nice to think she were still around, he decided. She had been too young; too innocent for her own good, perhaps. It could have damn well been what killed her, his inner musings thought ironically. _'A person like her doesn't deserve to die so young.' _Kisame thought, turning around and walking the opposite direction as Itachi, heading to his room. But, he supposed his thoughts rang especially true here: love definitely had no place in their line of work. Not just love, but trust... friendship; loyalty. These were all things that just got in the way and made you think you had a reason to live; a reason to fight. In truth, it only ever meant a reason to die quicker.

At least, this had been what Kisame always thought, but even just meeting the pink-haired kunoichi for the shortest of days had made him question this belief.

And now... well, he didn't know what to think now, but if there was one thing that he was certain of, it was that he was damn fond of the Uchiha he had as a partner, and if there was anyone in this world he would consider a friend, it was definitely him.

* * *

It must have been nearing late afternoon, perhaps around six, when suddenly there was a tremor in the Akatsuki base.

Due primarily to curiosity, Kisame couldn't help but investigate. Upon stepping out into the hall, he found Konan as well, hurriedly rushing towards the source of the shake, which definitely began somewhere deeper and further down. Alongside her, the two of them made their way downstairs, not a word spoken between the two of them, and with growing forewarning, Kisame realized they were going down to the prison cells.

"_Let. Me. **Go."**_

And then another shake, and Kisame saw a kunoichi dash forwards, and their eyes met for the slightest of seconds, his small, beady white eyes clashing with that of the deep, emerald green of her own, before she was knocked to the ground, a snake easing its way up her legs before it bit her, somewhere along the thigh, and she was quick to fall unconscious once again.

Alongside him too, Konan seemed speechless, staring at the passed out kunoichi on the ground.

"Don't mind me... just having a little difficulty with my prisoner. Harunos' can be quite difficult." Orochimaru mused, appearing from somewhere down the hall, watching as both Akatsuki members stared at him in morbid astonishment as he picked up the kunoichi and brought her back to a different cell, for she had done a fine job at completely destroying the one she had just been in.

How she managed to save up some chakra, and use it, for that matter, despite still having the poison in her system, was beyond him, but he guessed that he should have seen it coming.

And then Kisame and Konan were left standing there, speechless, until Konan too, turned around briskly and stormed off, almost as if she had been extremely affected by the scene that played out before them. And Kisame too, eventually turned around and walked away, obviously much slower than Konan as a thought struck him.

'_They look identical...'_

Walking back without even thinking, he found himself in the living room.

"What was that shake, un?" Deidara asked him.

Tentatively, Kisame looked up, snapped out of his inner musings, and commented briefly "Orochimaru's prisoner…"

And then he sat down, lost in his train of thought.

He didn't know when it had been, or how long he had been sitting down, thinking, but eventually, Itachi was before him. He looked up expectantly. "We have a mission. Let's go."

* * *

Sakura came to once more, a lot hazier than before, the pain she had been feeling probably two times as worse. What in Kami's name was Orochimaru lacing her with? It also probably didn't help that she was dehydrated and hadn't eaten anything since around the early noon she had gone to Shisui's with Sasuke. They had stopped for a brief lunch, and Sakura was now seriously mentally kicking herself for not having eaten more back then, whenever the hell that had been because she no longer had any idea how long she had been trapped in there; it could have been a whole week and Sakura wouldn't even know.

And then the door to the cell room opened once more, and she mustered the best glare she could, ready to take on Orochimaru, despite how much pain she was in or how groggy she felt.

And yet...

"Konan?"

* * *

Konan knew it was only a matter of time before Orochimaru approached Sasori. And so she made the proper arrangements and made sure she was there when he did so.

"Sasori." He called out, approaching said red-haired puppet master, who was sitting in the living room, watching as Deidara ate his lunch and quietly commented to himself how much easier it was not having to eat. Sasori, not particularly being fond of Orochimaru, for his experiments usually made quick work of Orochimaru's own "puppets", if you will, and left them deteriorating so quickly after having reached their highest peak of beauty, looked up in boredom and distaste. He did not speak, instead waiting for Orochimaru to say whatever it was that he needed to. "Is there any possible way I can get my hands on some of your stronger poisons?" he asked cautiously.

"Stronger?" Sasori inquired with a raise of his delicate eyebrow.

Orochimaru nodded. "Yes, my prisoner seems to need a stronger dosage."

"That little kunoichi you brought in?" Sasori questioned –there was no way somebody as small as her had been able to resist his toxins –there simply was no way.

"Considering she just blew a hole through the cell wall with an earth technique and nearly escaped, yes." Orochimaru stated.

Sasori eyed him peculiarly (as did Deidara, astonished that the little thing was able to cause so much destruction), figuring Orochimaru somehow messed up the dosage amount because there was _no way_ the kunoichi could have done such damage with no chakra, but complied nonetheless. "You'll have to wait while I make a stronger dosage." Sasori stood up and walked away, Orochimaru following shortly behind him.

Neither them nor Deidara had noticed Konan slip out of the room the moment Orochimaru stepped in it.

* * *

"Konan?" Sakura stared up at the fellow Haruno as she tossed Sakura a syringe.

"Quick, we don't have much time. Inject that, it's the antidote to the toxin Orochimaru's been giving you."

Sakura didn't even hesitate, quickly stabbing herself with said syringe.

"You have to get out before Orochimaru comes back." She stated. "Back away, I'm going to blow a hole in the wall and make it seem like you did it."

Sakura nodded, quickly going to the opposite side of the cell room and huddling close to it, using her arms to cover her head from the impact that was sure to come. Mentally, Sakura couldn't be any more grateful that she had learned of Konan's heritage while she was in the past.

* * *

From somewhere else in the base, there was another explosion. The ground temporarily shaking, Sasori turned around irritatingly. "I can't exactly make another batch when your prisoner is too busy wreaking havoc down there." He glared, completely convinced that there was _no way _Orochimaru _didn't _screw up the dosage now. One technique, perhaps she could squeeze in if she were skilled enough; two, especially with this degree of power, there was absolutely no way.

Orochimaru quickly took off in the direction of the prison cells, leaving Sasori alone and irritated.

* * *

'_Just run and don't stop. You'll feel the blockage on your chakra pathways fade in a few minutes. Blast holes through the base if you have to, just get out. I'll try and stall Orochimaru.'_

And so she began doing just that. Why follow the topsy turvy hallways of this damned base when she could just as well make her own?

Suddenly, from across the hall she could clearly see Orochimaru appear, a smirk plastered on his face, although Sakura could definitely tell that he was _entirely _pissed off at her escaping twice already. "Why you little..." Before he could even charge at her, he saw an origami bird appear and before he could even question it, it suddenly blew up, smoke filling the hallway and sending him flying, giving Sakura enough time to bust open another wall. It was then that she saw Konan, standing in between her and Orochimaru.

She approached her, giving her a quick embrace. "Follow this hall down all the way and break the last wall. You'll be home free, Sakura-hime."

Before Sakura could even thank her, Konan was pushing her away from a mirage of snakes, using her paper as a shield. "Go!" she ushered, and Sakura didn't need to be told twice. She was gone in the blink of an eye, running as fast as her feet could carry her. Upon reaching the wall, she quickly pulled back her fist and smashed the wall into smithereens.

"What's going on?! Tobi feels an earthquake!"

Sakura's emerald eyes clashed with the swirly orange mask of the man named Tobi, and before Sakura could give anyone any time to react, she took off, deciding that if this was the masked Uchiha she had encountered eleven years in the past, she didn't want to stick around to have him figure out she was the very same Haruno.

"Why is there a pretty pink-haired kunoichi smashing walls in Leader-sama's base?!" she could hear him call out in panic, but she paid it no mind. She was home free.

* * *

"Konan." Orochimaru seethed, stepping out of the debris that Konan had created with the explosion that had sent him hurling through a few walls.

_And let his Haruno heir escape, _the thought bubbled up anger within him.

"What are you doing?" he fumed.

"I owed her a favor." Konan simply stated, a glare in place.

"You just let my Haruno heir escape. You'll pay." Before she could even blink Orochimaru was on her, hurling snake after snake her direction, which Konan easily countered with her own explosive origami paper.

"I never did like snakes anyway." She murmured to herself. Yet, she noticed with much chagrin, that she was at a great disadvantage –her skill-set needed room. She was in a cramped hallway in the base, and there was no way she was about to let the entire organization detonate and explode into smithereens because Orochimaru was pissy that his Haruno escaped. But at least, disadvantage be damned, Sakura was free.

Her heir was first and foremost. Pein would understand if it came down to it.

Before she could even register what was going on, Orochimaru appeared before her and sent a powerful kick to her abdomen, strong enough to break the wall behind her and have her tumbling back.

"You're going to pay." He was on her yet again, this time a blade protruding from his mouth. His snakes wrapped around her ankles and wrists, leaving her immobilized, as he quickly lunged towards her.

In a panic, Konan's eyes rapidly turned gold for a fraction of a second, and the next thing Orochimaru knew, a tree erupted from the ground and pushed Orochimaru back.

And although it hurt like hell, he had seen enough to leave him feeling as if there was hope. He stood up, groggily almost, but then grinned viciously in Konan's direction. "Who would have thought that I'd have one hiding under my very nose this whole time" He grinned maliciously, his snake-like tongue swirling around in a playful manner.

Konan did not respond, removing a few kunai from her holster, ready for Orochimaru to lunge again.

But before he could even get close to her with said lunge, just mere feet away from Konan, one of Pein's Six Paths appeared before them and Orochimaru was completely immobilized by a choke hold. "How foolish are you to attack Konan under my very own base?" it sneered. And before either Konan or Orochimaru could see, he was being hurled left and right, up and down and any and every direction in between, no doubt breaking bone after bone after bone as Pein continued his onslaught on Orochimaru. "You'll pay for your insolence." He snarled, Orochimaru on the ground, battered, beaten and bruised.

"What's going on here? Orochimaru-senpai?"

It was but a split second that Pein looked away to stare at Tobi, but it had been enough time –more than enough. Within the next second he was already gone, leaving nothing but destruction in his wake as Tobi surveyed the chaos that had befallen the base.

What had happened?

And more importantly, _who_ _had that been running through his base?_

Pein did not say a word as he got up. "Konan, have Deidara repair this mess. And alert Kisame and Itachi that if they are to see Orochimaru while they're out, they are to kill him." And then he vanished.

"But... I liked Orochimaru-senpai..."

* * *

"Itachi..." Kisame didn't exactly know how to bring this up as they casually walked alongside the open road. "Orochimaru's prisoner..."

Although Itachi did not respond, he glanced at Kisame for a fraction of a second to let him know that he was listening, which Kisame took as a good sign to continue. "She's a Haruno..." Kisame stated, noticing how Itachi seemed unaffected by this news.

"And?" he questioned, asking Kisame to get to his point.

"Well... I mean... Isn't that kind of freaky to you?" He didn't quite know what he was saying or where he was going with it, but he just knew that he had to make a point out of it. The fact of the matter was, there was currently a Sakura Haruno with pink hair being imprisoned in their base, and she looked identical to that of the Sakura they had once known eleven years ago, except that that Sakura was supposedly dead and should technically be about 24 or 25 now.

That kunoichi, however old she was, was definitely not 25.

"Hn" Itachi stated, and Kisame got the vibe that Itachi didn't particularly want to talk about it, so he just decided to shut up with one final sigh.

But of course Itachi didn't want to talk about it. All it would be doing would be opening up old wounds.

And besides, Itachi had seen it too; he had seen the kunoichi on the floor, wrapped up in snakes, and he had seen her fight off Orochimaru, and he had definitely seen that very same, identical girl enact a Haruno Clan Ritual exactly eleven years ago.

And with that thought in mind, he came to a sudden realization

_That was Sakura Haruno_

_His Sakura Haruno. The one he had housed, trained and sparred with and supposedly killed, and had supposedly gone missing afterwards._

_But now the real question, _

_How was that even possible?_

**End of Chapter**

**Oooooh, and there it is ^.^ Next chapter will definitely be the meeting between Sakura and Itachi, i'll leave that as a spoiler ^.^**

**And as a side-note, the fight between Kisame, Itachi, Naruto, Kakashi, etc. had been one of Sakura's "premonitions" in Sakura's New Past, right around her mission in Suna, just in case you guys have forgotten ^-^ Her Flower Eye is still pretty much a mystery up until this point, but not to worry, its true origins and depths will be revealed in the future ^.^**

**Also, _flacaurmama_ ****had a question pertaining to the Haruno family tree, so here is my small description on it.**

**Ayame Haruno (head of Clan) and husband (never named). Sister to Tsubaki Haruno (not named until now) and husband (also never named)**

**Ayame Haruno birthed Marika and Sakura. Tsubaki Haruno birthed Hiroto and Himawari. As such, they are first cousins.**

**Daichi and Sayuri are both close cousins to each other &amp; the other Harunos, their birth parents never specified. **

**So there it is! Hope this answers your question! If it doesn't, drop a pm or a review and I'll be happy to clear any misunderstandings up! :)**

**More reviews makes it more likely for me to update sooner ^-^**

**Questions? Comments? Critiques? Suggestions? Leave them all here!**

**Any and all feedback is much appreciated!**

**-MarzSpy**


	5. Meeting

**Here it is guys ^_^ The long-awaited next chapter! A little Itachi, a little Sakura, and a whole lot of Sasuke mush :3 This is updated early because I'm going on a trip and won't be able to touch this much for a few weeks, and I didn't want to make you guys wait so long!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form**

**Chapter 5: Meeting**

After running for about thirty straight minutes, Sakura could finally ease up on her speed, positive that she had put enough distance between herself and the Akatsuki base, as well as knowing that there was absolutely nobody following her, no thanks to Konan and her intervention.

The sun had set long ago, Sakura was sure, because by the time she had managed to escape the god forsaken Akatsuki base, it had already been dark. She didn't know what time it was, but after the adrenaline finally gave out, she couldn't help but notice how physically and mentally exhausted she was -but how could she not be after everything that had happened to her in the past 48 hours?

She needed to find a hotel, preferably one where she could also eat at and not have any disturbances, she decided with much determination, pumping some chakra into her feet as she quickened her speed. Lucky for her Orochimaru hadn't been smart enough to completely drain her of her chakra, and settled with just blocking it -her chakra control was so perfect, she could access even just the tiniest amount that the poison failed to entirely block. But nevermind that; she needed a hotel.

Which, as luck would have it, had only been about another thirty minute run from her current location, wherever the hell that happened to be. All she knew was the heading eastward would find her somewhere in the Fire Country, hopefully, and then she'd be able to make her move from there. After all, navigating in the Fire Country was bound to be a lot safer than wherever the hell she had just been.

Kami she loved the Fire Country; everything just seemed so much more luxurious and easily accessible here, she decided, upon seeing the hotel from the distance. And so she entered the aforementioned hotel, and it wasn't until it was time to pay that Sakura realized that she was flat out broke.

"Any way you could put it on the Godaime's tab?" Sakura tried to laugh it off, but failed miserably, feeling like she was definitely at the bottom of the pit of despair. Before the clerk working the front could apologize and decline her suggestion, somehow, with whatever love and affection the Gods had left for her, there was an answer to her prayer.

"Always making everybody worry, Sakura-hime."

Sakura turned around instantly, as alert as ever, her hand reaching down to the kunai holster that was no longer there (no thanks to Orochimaru), but upon staring at the figure, having instant relief wash over her. "Shisui!" Sakura ran to him, never having been so happy to see him in all of her years of living.

"Everybody was worried sick for you Sakura." He whispered as she embraced him, low enough so only the two of them could hear. "You even had me searching for you."

"I know, I'm so sorry, I'll never do it again I promise... but please, _please, _pay for this tab, first and foremost. I'm begging you..." She begged, pulling back and staring at Shisui with desperate eyes.

Shisui laughed at Sakura's antics. "Hai, Hai."

Twenty minutes later, Sakura found herself placed in front of a table, a couple boxes and trays of food placed before her in what seemed like a luxurious buffet to her. And after having promptly shoved some food down her throat, feeling like she could finally breath again, Sakura began talking as Shisui stared at her expectantly, a smile gracing his face.

"Where's Sasuke-kun?" Sakura began in between bites of the noodles Shisui had ordered for her.

"Well, I do believe that until just hours ago he was here, alongside Marika, Naruto, Kakashi, etc. etc. I don't particularly know all the names of your teammates... one of them had a big dog though."

Sakura nearly chocked on her food. "What?" she questioned, trying to drink some water to ease its contents down.

"They came out here looking for you." Shisui explained. "Albeit, they got a little more than they bargained for with a confrontation with Kisame Hoshigaki and Itachi, so they had to retreat when Naruto took a smidge too much damage." He explained.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait," Sakura shook her head, momentarily putting down her take-out. "Naruto came to look for me?" she questioned.

"Umm... yes." Shisui confirmed with a small nod.

"And Tsunade allowed this?" she raised a delicate eyebrow. Naruto had been under intense lockdown for the past year, so why would she allow him to just up and leave?

"Well, not exactly..." he gave her a hesitant chuckle.

"Oh, so the baka left the village when Tsunade and Kakashi weren't looking, then?" Sakura surmised with a roll of her eyes.

"That sounds about right." Shisui nodded. "Mind you, this is just me, relaying to you everything that either Marika or Sasuke told me." he added, pretty much saying there was room for error in everything he was saying and to cut Naruto some slack when she did see him.

"No, no, that certainly sounds like something Naruto would do." Sakura shook her head in dismay, picking up the food once more and continuing to devour it. "But is he okay? That baka shouldn't even have come here. That was way too stupid, even for him. I swear, does that guy think?" Sakura proclaimed, just about ready to go racing off to Konoha just for the sole purpose of healing Naruto, and then promptly beating him senseless for being such an idiot.

"Oh, I'm sure you can answer that question better than I can." Shisui shrugged, a grin on his features.

And it was true –she could. Naruto, although probably pretty badly injured, would definitely be okay, if not because of the Kyuubi's regenerative abilities, than because of Tsunade's capable hands. And why had he been such an idiot? Had he even thought anything through? He probably did, although his logic and thought process was probably different than anyone else's. Because Naruto had gone on a rampage once he found out, just because he cared for her so much, and he didn't care if he had to put his life on the line to save her. Just thinking those thoughts gave her those stupid warm and fuzzy feelings, and she was reminded of just how much she desperately missed Naruto –and loved him to bits, of course. "Oh Naruto, what am I going to do with you..." she sighed, but nonetheless, she was happy. Happy that not just Naruto, but all of her friends and family, had risked their behinds just to try and get her back.

"I came after Marika informed me where you guys were headed, just in case you needed back up, if you were wondering how I got here. By the time I got here, I had Sasuke and Marika explain to me what happened, and I decided to stick around to see if I could perhaps get a closer look on where exactly the Akatsuki base may be, and see how hard it would be to possibly get in and out undetected. But fortunately for me, you drop right on my lap as soon as I'm about to take off." Shisui laughed. "I sure must have great luck." (At this comment, Sakura scoffed, but decided not to comment -his luck must be much better than hers, she was sure).

Nevertheless, she was sure this was an intervention of Fate, and she kindly thanked Matsuro-sama for it.

"But anyway, now that I know you're safe and sound, I think it best I be on my way. Wouldn't want anyone seeing me and asking questions, after all. The room's prepaid for tomorrow, so you can stay here if you want. I'll send word to Sasuke that you're safe and have him meet you at a halfway point, if you want." Shisui offered.

Sakura sighed. "If you tell him I'm here with you I have no other option _but_ to meet them halfway -there's no "if you want" about it. They're probably all going nuts right now." Sakura refuted, rolling her eyes slightly. "Just tell them I'm safe and to designate a halfway point for tomorrow morning, please."

"Hai, Sakura-hime." He winked, beginning to write the letter. Once done, he rolled it up and began walking towards the window sill, where, lo and behold, sat a potted plant with a jasmine bud on it, summoned by Marika for communication purposes. "You'll receive Marika's response through this." he merely commented, watching as the jasmine bud wrapped its stems around the letter before disappearing.

"Sounds good." Sakura spoke, noodles in her mouth and all. Screw manners; she hadn't eaten in what felt like ages.

"Alright Sakura, until next time I suppose." He approached Sakura and gave her a quick hug as she thanked him repeatedly for saving her from having to sleep in an alleyway with no food or warmth, and then he was quickly on his way, whistling a merry tune as he began walking towards the entrance of the hotel.

Rounding a corner of the building, ready to make his way downstairs, he bumped into someone, having been too distracted to pay much attention to the path before him -but you couldn't even blame him, he thought; he couldn't even sense the man to begin with. He swore, it was so hard to sense civilians, for their chakra pathways were quite literally nonexistent. "Oh, sorr –whoa you're tall." He whistled, staring up at the seven foot tall man. "I have no clue how I missed you, sorry about that." he apologized once more.

"Yeah, I get that a lot." The aforementioned seven-foot tall giant sighed, walking past Shisui, going down the hall said Uchiha had just come from, and going up the stairs to the third floor of the hotel room.

"Good night to you too." Shisui said almost sarcastically as he continued his walk outside, noticing how rude the giant had been, but decided to dismiss it, not particularly caring.

Said giant, upon his arrival to the third floor, passed about three doors before opening the next one on his left with a simple key, and upon closing the door behind him, did some handsigns. What had previously been smooth tanned skin and dark hair suddenly took a bluish-gray color as he shouted a quick "Itachi, I'm back. I have take-out."

"Hn"

* * *

Sakura, although exhausted to the bone, got up bright and early the next day, all thoughts about yesterday put behind her, just wanting to make it to her halfway point, the location of which she had found out the night before thanks to the reply brought by the jasmine bud that had gone a little along these lines, if you will:

_Sakura you gave us the biggest scare in the world! Right after Himawari expressly told you to be careful! _

The neat hand writing had been easily identifiable as Marika's, but then it got really sloppy, a scripture that could only be Naruto's, every letter capitalized to emphasize that Naruto was extremely excited, and Sakura could _swear_ that she could read his overly-obnoxious voice screaming in her ear to the point where she nearly grew deaf just reading it, if it were possible.

_SAKURA-CHAN! STAY RIGHT THERE. DON'T MOVE. I'LL BE THERE IN A SEC, DATTEBAYO!_

And, once more, it changed, this hand writing much neater than Naruto's.

_Ignore the dobe. I'll explain to him it's better if you get as far away from the Akatsuki as possible. I'll describe our halfway point below._

And then the said letter off to explain the location as, who she had presumed to be Sasuke, promised. Upon exiting the bathroom, Sakura gave herself some time to look over the directions once more, before tucking in the scroll in one of her skirt pockets, before heading out the door of her hotel room.

_'I just want to be home'_, Sakura thought, her footsteps carrying her towards the entrance, unconsciously speeding up at the thought of having Naruto, Sasuke-kun, and Kakashi-sensei alongside her, and with that thought in mind, Sakura began walking down the hallway. But she found, as she was rounding the corner to the stairs, that somebody was making their way up the very same flight of stairs. This aforementioned somebody, clearly a male, looked up and their eyes locked, but before she could even get a good look at the man, Sakura found herself cornered, pushed up against the wall with Sharingan eyes blazing down at her, a hand covering her mouth, denying her the right to scream if she so chose to, which she found she most definitely wanted to do.

Sakura stared in wide-eyed shock as she got a good look at those Sharingan eyes, eyes she had familiarized herself with ages ago. Because these were definitely not the Sharingan eyes of her Sasuke-kun, and she knew Shisui didn't have the Sharingan any longer, and it was enough to send her blood cold in an instant.

'_Itachi'_

Their eyes met, for several seconds in fact, and Sakura didn't know whether or not she should feel relieved that he hadn't killed her yet –hadn't put her in the Tsukiyomi and tortured her yet. Because just by the look in his eyes, she could already tell that he knew who she was, _knew she was Sakura, _and by the aggression in his actions she could also tell that he wanted answers. _Now_

Which he rightfully deserved, Sakura decided. But deciding he should know the truth and actually telling him this truth were two different things entirely, she also decided almost immediately after. She moved her lips, an effort to indicate to Itachi that she wished to speak, and he granted her that wish, calmly and slowly removing his hand from her mouth, but as Sakura made an effort to push him off of her, to get some breathing room because _Kami she swore she couldn't be this close to him right now_, he roughly grasped her wrists as if making it clear that she wouldn't be moving a muscle any time soon –not until he got his answers anyway. And just those actions were enough to remind Sakura that even if he was ultimately innocent of the crimes he committed in Konoha, he was still an enemy who would no doubt hurt her if she didn't comply to his wishes, somebody who had tried to kill her the second to last time he had seen her.

Her breath hitched in her throat, no longer knowing what she wanted to start off with -clearly a "Hello Itachi, it's been a while, how have you been?" was definitely not suited for the situation, and it took Itachi's painful reminder, having grasped her wrists a little too harshly, to open up her voice box again.

"...Put me under" she decided to say instead, almost an exasperated and out of breath whisper, before her breath hitched in her throat all together and she was rendered voiceless by his actions, which she knew would completely shut down her brain any second now if she didn't get some breathing room, because _Kami,_ Itachi had always been a poison to her, a toxin that always left her confused and turned her into a jumbled slab of goo on the floor.

It was but a whisper, but Itachi was so close to her it didn't even matter; she stared, fixated, straight into his Sharingan eyes as they developed into the Mangekyou, and then her world went black, her heart thumping at a million beats per minute, her entire existence being devoured by the aforementioned blackness.

* * *

She had always wondered what it was like to be placed under the Mangekyou. Oddly enough, she wasn't fearful. If Itachi was going to kill her she would have been dead by now, she supposed, and if he was going to torture her he would have also done that by now, so she knew she had nothing to worry about. At least, that was what she kept telling herself, and what she desperately wanted to believe.

She found herself in a deserted, nearly pitch-black forest, her back placed against a tree trunk as Itachi suddenly appeared before her, cornering her in a similar fashion as back in the hotel. He didn't speak, merely examining her from head to toe, almost as if confirming she was in fact the same girl, no, woman, he knew in the past. Sakura held her breath, almost too nervous to even breathe under his scrutinizing gaze. Feeling like she needed to break the silence, she began speaking, not knowing exactly where to begin but knowing that if she didn't that they would be here for the next 72 hours, or until Sakura finally decided to speak.

"Four months ago," her breath harshly hitched in her throat as Itachi's eyes quickly darted to her face as she began talking, and trying to gain some backbone, she allowed herself to look back in his eyes, almost mesmerized by the way they seemed to be the only thing that lit up the black expanse around her. It was weird, how something like two years ago (for her), she would have looked at those very same eyes with relative ease and comfort. And now, eleven years later, he was an enemy that brought fear into every inch of her being. "Four months ago," she repeated once more, trying to recollect her thoughts, "I was given an S-Class mission by Tsunade-shishou to go back to the past and stop the Uchiha Massacre; to kill you if I had to." She began, noticing how he paid close attention, but also how his face, and even his eyes, remained unchanging. "But I wouldn't come to know until months afterwards about the coup d'état that Fugaku had been planning..." she surveyed his face, looking for any sort of expression to let her know that he was still there as she continued speaking –the old Itachi that she used to know, but she could find none, and the thought made her heart clench uncomfortably.

"...I saw you" he suddenly spoke after a long silence, the first time she had heard his voice in what had been nearly two years for her and eleven years for him, and it was enough to send an involuntary shiver down her spine, "at the Clan Ritual. When you transformed to your true self."

Sakura gave a small nod, recalling that the very last time she had seen Itachi, he had said the same thing, but she had refused to elaborate on it. "Due to... ummm..." Sakura bit her tongue, knowing she couldn't speak about Matsuro. "Due to my power, as well as the power of the jutsu that sent me to the past, being restricted, my form was altered for the duration of it."

Itachi glared, knowing that, even now, there were still things that Sakura was keeping from him, and without knowing it his fists slammed into the bark between Sakura's head. Why was she always able to get him so angry with hardly any effort?

"You lied... about everything." His comment sounded hurt, the first emotion Sakura had been able to decipher from Itachi, but it was gone nearly as quickly as it had come, so fast in fact that Sakura wasn't entirely sure that she had heard it in the first place.

And then Sakura understood it: why he had avoided her ever since that day, and why he had refused to trust her or listen to her, or anything along those lines. Because to him, she had surely been nothing but a liar from the very beginning that hadn't meant, or _felt _anything from day one. "I never meant to get as close to you as I did..." Sakura began hesitantly.

_Never meant to like you,_

"But I did... and I'm sure seeing me like that must have hurt you, and I didn't mean for any of that to happen..." Sakura frowned, looking down.

Had Itachi still been capable of any emotion other than anger, he would have sneered. _Hurt? _That didn't even begin to describe the emotions he had felt at the time –he had felt betrayed, hurt, used and confused all at once.

"But," Sakura added, hesitantly at first, chewing on her bottom lip as she examined Itachi's reaction, almost as if testing the water and seeing if it were okay to continue. "I don't regret it. I don't regret any of it." She stared back up at Itachi, her passionate emerald eyes meeting his cold Sharingan orbs. "I... I gave Sasuke a new chance at a happy life... one with Mikoto and Saki in it... one in which there's a chance for you to be in it too, Itachi..." she spoke the last part extremely tentatively. "Sasuke knows... about everything now... He knows about the coup d'état and the plans of the elders... and he knows of your innocence, Itachi. And so does Tsunade-sama..."

_He doesn't hate you,_

_Konoha will accept you,_

Itachi turned around abruptly upon hearing her words, simply not caring to hear anything else that she was saying. He had come for answers, and he had gotten them -there was nothing more to be said. Because, after all, what did _she _know about anything? Things weren't that simple –he couldn't just walk back into Konoha and expect things to fall into place, and for him to pick back up right where he had left off eleven years ago. He had left everything in Konoha, for the sake of its future, and he had been prepared to leave it for good, and here she was, talking about just returning as if it were simply that easy.

"Are you done?" he spoke coldly, as if asking if she had said all she needed to, so he could break the genjutsu and they could part ways once more. He at least cared –_had cared_, enough to give her that respect.

"Itachi, please, just hear me out..." She pleaded, attempting to take a step towards him, reaching out her hand to perhaps grasp his sleeve so that he couldn't walk away from her, but found that she simply could not move from where she stood –but of course, because Itachi controlled everything in this damned place, and if he didn't want her to move, if he didn't want her to touch him, then so be it –wish granted.

He turned around suddenly, perhaps getting a little too close for comfort yet again, as he spoke. "There are bigger things at stake, Sakura. Bigger things in motion which I cannot simply turn away from."

"But Itachi, you have a chance at life again... I know you love Sasuke, and I know-"

"You don't know me." he cut her off. "You never did..." he turned around once more, a sense of finality in his voice, but Sakura, with much anger and determination, refused to let it end like that, after so many months and years of pent up anger and frustration and stress and confusion.

Sakura shook her head suddenly, needing to express the anger and hurt bubbling up inside of her at his words. "That's a lie and you know it." She hesitated and fumbled with her next words, her anger fueling her to speak. "I refuse to admit that I didn't know you, because I know, even if just for a few short months, that I liked the person I had seen in you Itachi.

_I liked you,_

"And deep down inside, I know you know that too... Even if I was lying to you... Because you were lying to me from the very beginning too, or have you forgotten?"

If Itachi were capable of it, his eyes would have widened at her outburst. He lied to her? How had _he _lied? He had never pretended to be anything other than the monster he was. He didn't hide this about himself, and she got closer to him willingly (if not forcefully, his inner self said resentfully), knowing all of this all too well.

Almost as if reading his thoughts, Sakura proclaimed boldly. "You allowed me to get close to you, despite knowing what you were bound to do... bound to become. You allowed not only me, but yourself to get hurt Itachi. So you can't blame this solely on me."

And despite how much he wanted to refute this and deny it, deep down inside, if his churning emotions were any indication of it, she was right. Because he wouldn't be here, destroying his eye-sight and depleting his chakra if she weren't important, if she hadn't affected him enough for him to go out of his way to seek her out and demand answers. She had gotten too close, yes, but he had allowed it to happen to begin with.

"...I am sorry, Itachi..." she spoke yet again, pulling Itachi out of his thoughts. "But, at the same time... I'm not..." she looked down hesitantly for the slightest of seconds, as if debating her next statement, before looking back into Itachi's blood-red eyes. "Because... even if I was lying to you... Even if I was from the future, and even if I had met you solely because of the mission that got assigned to me, I got to know a side of you not many did, Itachi, which I will never be able to forget about. And you can't fake the things we went through, and don't try and tell me you can. Don't you _dare _undermine everything we went through." Itachi didn't miss the hurt in her voice (she had always been so easy to read, even back then, he recalled), or the way her voice cracked at her very last sentence. She shook her head some more, absolutely refusing to believe Itachi's words. Because even though he had tried to kill her, and even though it hurt now, she couldn't lie to herself; she had fallen for Itachi, and his selfless, brave, and kind persona.

Before Sakura could say any more, perhaps beg or demand Itachi to say something, _anything,_ the illusion was broken and Sakura all too quickly found herself back in the real world, Itachi's body still pressed up against her own. He cared not to continue that conversation, Sakura thought with great sadness, but she had no time to reflect upon that as she felt Itachi shift.

He knelt down, and she could feel his lips on her ear as he spoke. "Go home and take your Jinchuurki far from Konoha." And then he released his grip on her wrists and began walking away, not even looking back.

Sakura turned to stare at his retreating figure, and hearing more footsteps heading downstairs, presumably that of Kisame's, she decided to bail before she had any more explaining to do.

And although he hid it well, as he watched her retreating figure, his heart clenched uncomfortably as old memories and emotions which he had suppressed for several years now, slowly but surely, began to resurface.

_Don't you dare undermine everything we went through_

Her words echoed in his head and reverberated in his heart.

* * *

"Tch. She should be here by now." Sasuke said impatiently, looking around.

"Give her a few more minutes Sasuke." Kakashi said, refusing to take his eyes off of the Icha Icha Paradise book he was reading, although he knew this to be Sasuke just being his usual worry-wart self when it came to Sakura –but this he could not blame, for even now there was the chance that she would get captured once more. Frankly, as any of the members of Team 7 saw it, Sakura was never safe unless she was with them, tightly tucked and squeezed in between the members of Team 7, Sai included, regardless of her skill and her ability to protect herself, but this was just them being their over-protective selves.

Naruto, who had long since become impatient, even before the supposed time of arrival, began shouting from atop the highest tree in the area. "I think I see her!" And so he promptly shot down from the tree and began running over to her. "SAKURA-CHAN~~!"

But seconds later, Sasuke watched with much amusement, as he was hurled back with so much force that he literally knocked over the tree he had just been mounted on. "NARUTO NO BAKA!" Oh yeah, Sakura was _definitely_ here alright. "How many times do we have to go over this? Bad things happen when you step out of the village." She didn't even wait as she approached the clearing, picking Naruto up by the collar as she reprimanded him for being so careless (although currently, she probably had absolutely no right to talk).

"But Sakura-chan, I was just worried for you!" he complained, wishing that for once, Sakura could just thank him for his courage and bravery, hell, maybe even a kiss or two-

"Get real Naruto." She scoffed, tossing him aside (quite literally), and beginning to walk away, Sasuke and Kakashi already by her side, Naruto temporarily dazed as he realized he had said that out loud (he swore it was Sakura's fault for hitting him too hard anyway -his brain was permanently damaged).

"Your lack of control over your brain is not my fault." Sakura retorted, sending him a glare as he bashfully turned the other way, deciding to just stop thinking all together before his thoughts got him in trouble.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Sasuke inquired, opting to ignore Naruto's antics and the characteristic childish tears of his, instead showing his concern over Sakura. He swore if she were in pain he'd personally track down that snake bastard and teach him not to mess with his family -because yes, he had to admit it, Sakura was family.

Sakura shook her head. "It's not the first time I've dealt with Orochimaru. Luckily for me, he made his fatal mistake by bringing me to Akatsuki." Before either Sasuke or Kakashi could inquire on what exactly she meant, she silenced them. "I'll explain once we arrive at Konoha; I don't want to say it more than once."

"Hai"

"Hn"

And so they turned to leave, casually walking at a leisure pace towards Konoha. "Hurry up now Naruto, don't diddle daddle." Kakashi commented with a crease of his one visible eye, almost as if mocking Naruto, who had been crawling towards them, not having been fully healed from his battle with Kisame and Itachi before he promptly fled from the hospital in order to save "his" Sakura-chan, and having said Sakura-chan promptly pummel him to the ground seconds upon seeing her.

"H-Hai..." he tried to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. All he had wanted was for Sakura to be grateful to him...

_'Life's not fair...' _

* * *

"Sakura you don't even know how big of a panic you had us all in." Tsunade reprimanded. All the occupants in the room, the Harunos' plus Team 7, all nodded simultaneously at Tsunade's statement.

"Gomen" she apologized giving them all a meek smile, "It's not like I willingly let myself be captured by them or delivered myself to their front door." She sent Naruto another look that had him looking down in embarrassment.

Tsunade sighed, shaking her head in dismay. All her shinobi were idiots, she was sure of it. She'd die just worrying about them, no doubt. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you again to be more careful, at least." She sighed yet again.

Sakura gave a quick nod in acknowledgement, commenting quickly "Better he chase after me than get his hands on Sasuke, at least."

"Better than that would be if I didn't have to fear that snake-bastard having it in with some of my best shinobi in the making at all; I'm sure if I send you to the past once more you'd come back to find him pinning after Naruto next." Sakura dismissed her retort, and allowed Tsunade to move on and ask the question she was sure was next. "How did you escape?"

From the corner of the room, the Harunos' watched on in quiet curiosity. "Well," Sakura began, "there might, sort of, kind of be a Haruno in Akatsuki... who sort of, kind of set me free and engaged in battle with Orochimaru...?"

Tsunade allowed her head to thump on her newly bought desk. "Kami, there's more of you? I can barely handle the likes of you." she shook her head in disapproval. "I swear sometimes I feel like you're all more trouble than you're worth."

From next to her, Sasuke smirked –for once, it was Sakura and not him or Naruto (because usually they were being reprimanded for fighting or being reckless), who was being scolded for her carelessness. Which, he had to admit, was nice.

"Oh yeah, and one more thing... I may have, sort of kind of, ran into Itachi on my way here." The room, which had been left in relative ease, suddenly tensed up once again at the mention. "For starters, I'm alive, which we should take as a good sign." Sakura stated, trying to lighten the sudden serious mood that had befallen the room. "But he also told me to take Naruto away from Konoha as soon as possible."

All eyes fell on Naruto this time as Tsunade began to think over this news. "Can he really be trusted?" Marika questioned, despite the look Sasuke gave her (this was his innocent aniki, of course he could be trusted).

"I'd rather not risk finding out why he would want Naruto out of the village..." Sakura said hesitantly. "He didn't seem to bare any ill-will towards either me or Konoha."

Tsunade sighed. "Well, I guess now is as good a time as ever then. I can't possibly see Itachi sabotaging us for the time being, if everything you have told me so far is true." She rummaged through her desk and pulled out a scroll. "I have a letter from the Kazekage, Gaara no Subaku explicitly asking for your presence, Sakura."

"Mine?" she questioned in confusion, eyes switching from Naruto to Tsunade in the blink of an eye. Last she knew, the only interaction she had had with Gaara in this timeline was that of the Chunin Exam's, and even then it hadn't been enough of an interaction for him to suddenly call for her.

"Hai" Tsunade confirmed, "But I was planning on making you the temporary ambassador to Suna anyway, so this works out. I'd allow you a day's time to rest, but if Itachi is actually trying to warn us of something, perhaps you should take off before we have time to find out what it is." Tsunade explained.

Sakura nodded in confirmation. "I'm assuming this is tasked upon Team 7, then?" she questioned, pretty much asking if Sasuke and Kakashi would also be accompanying them.

Tsunade gave a small nod. "Now I know you guys aren't exactly experts at diplomacy, but you've got enough common sense to know how to act." Tsunade began, looking at all of them in the eye, until her gaze fixated upon Naruto. "Naruto, your sole job here is to shut up and not screw anything up." This quickly made Naruto frown in defiance, but Tsunade moved on before he could even try to go against her. "Fortunately for you, Shikamaru has already gone over the alliance plans and rough drafts, so all you three have to do is memorize it and speak in front of the Kazekage and the Elders and whoever else they deem important enough to attend the meetings." Tsunade began, throwing each of the members of Team 7 –minus Naruto, a file containing the information. "Leave whenever you want, but remember, although Gaara seems willing for an alliance, we still mustn't forget that we also need to be liked by the Elders; and be careful." Tsunade dismissed them fairly quickly.

With a slight bow, they all exited Tsunade's office, the Harunos' included, as they walked out of the Hokage tower. "What time shall we leave?" Sakura asked, mainly asking Kakashi, for he was still technically the leader of the team.

"Let's try and leave by two." Kakashi stated.

"Sounds good!" Naruto exclaimed "Sakura-chan, Sasuke-teme, wanna get some ramen?"

"I'll pass Naruto, I'd like to rest a bit before we leave." Sakura shook her head.

"I've got things to do." Sasuke merely responded.

With a defeated sigh, Naruto frowned. "You guys are no fun." Although, truthfully speaking, Sakura was probably fairly exhausted and should rest up (technically so should he but a few life threatening injuries never stopped him). So he directed his statement towards the Harunos', knowing Kakashi would down right refuse him if he asked anyway. "What about you guys? Down for some ramen?"

"I'll go." Himawari offered with a small smile, never one to let someone down. "How about you Hiroto-nii?"

"I guess I can squeeze you guys in."

And so little by little, the group split, Marika and Kakashi going to their separate apartments, Sayuri going to her lessons with Ibiki, and Daichi returning home to rest.

By the time Sakura walked into the compound, it was just her and Sasuke, a small sticky note having been left on the fridge, addressing the fact that Mikoto and Saki were nowhere to be seen, apparently off grocery shopping.

"Sakura" Sasuke spoke as they made their way down the hallway. "Can I ask you something?"

Sakura looked back, confused –Sasuke never _asked _to ask a question –he sort of just did. Like he had stated just days prior, he _hated _beating around the bush, so why was he doing it now? She made her way into her bedroom, immediately beginning to pack for the journey that lay ahead, deciding that she didn't want to do it later.

"What's up?" she questioned, sitting down on her bed as she got some clothing, noticing how Sasuke remained by the door, staring at her through the mirror in her room.

"Do you..." He paused, hesitant, and Sakura couldn't help but raise her eyebrow, almost as if saying _Spit it out already, Sasuke-kun, _and so Sasuke spoke, looking away as if he wouldn't like the answer, almost. "Do you like Itachi-nii?" The words left her stunned, glued to the spot she was at, her fingers frozen mid-fold. "Let me rephrase myself... Did you love him, Sakura?"

The question she had been asking herself nearly the entire time she was in the past, as well as a good portion of her time in the indefinite and non-existent dimension of Matsuro's, finally arose. But it still found took her forever to answer this, she noticed begrudgingly. "...No..." she finally spoke after what could have been a good minute, her hands falling to her lap, the article of clothing long forgotten on her bed, as she began to mewl over her words, turning her head to face him. "But _Kami_, I cared for him more than I should have allowed myself to, Sasuke-kun..." she gave a small, bittersweet smile. "I don't know if it was because watching him was so much like watching you, in my timeline... or perhaps just that I have the tendency to care too much when I see good people destroying themselves... But I couldn't help but care for him, more and more, with each and every passing day." she reminisced upon Itachi's actions. "He saved me once, you know... from Orochimaru, back when I got captured then. That's how I knew that deep down inside Itachi was a good person; that he cared. It almost made me think that he could perhaps care about me in the future too, but..."

_But then he went and "killed" her, and ruined all possibilities of that, anyhow_

Her heart clenched uncomfortably at the thought –as much as she wanted to deny it, it still hurt, just thinking about what Itachi had done, _what he tried to do, _and he would have very well succeeded in doing too, if not for Kikyou's intervention.

Did she love him? She couldn't answer it truthfully, she knew, and she knew that Sasuke knew, just by the look that he was giving her and the way she had answered extremely unconvincingly, at that. Because although she said no, her mind was still racing through everything that they had gone through and part of her so _desperately_ wanted to cling to the idea that he had reciprocated those feelings, even if only for a little while.

Which, although Sakura would surely deny it, Sasuke had a hunch that Itachi did –and probably still does now.

Because, even though he had tried to suppress and block and erase most of the memories he had from his childhood, there were few interactions he could remember between Sakura-neechan and his aniki, and if there was one thing he had ever noticed, it was that Itachi seemed to particularly be in an irritated mood whenever he was around Sakura, and an even more aggravated mood when he wasn't. And being completely serious here, Itachi would not have acted so openly about his liking to Sakura if it weren't something he would be feeling ten, twenty, or thirty years down the line. He had genuinely fallen for Sakura, and she had been the only person he had ever had feelings for –this was saying something.

It was a long while that Sakura and Sasuke sat in silence, Sasuke processing all his thoughts as Sakura waited patiently, wondering why exactly it was that Sasuke was bringing this up -why he was asking such a privy question, especially. Sasuke never particularly cared about somebody's relationship status or their feelings when it came to a certain somebody -although she supposed that it being Itachi, his own flesh and blood that they were talking about, made it a little more understandable.

And after a while, Sasuke parted his lips, inhaling deeply before he spoke. "...Okaa-san said that Itachi would always stand by my side... And it would be wrong for me to not do the same."

Sakura was at first confused by his seemingly random statement, and waited patiently for Sasuke to elaborate.

"Itachi-nii," Sakura did not miss the way Sasuke openly made an effort (although he said it rather hesitantly) to bring back the endearment he used so long ago. "...He needs you, Sakura." Just those words, said so bluntly, and by Sasuke no less, were enough to send a sharp pang of electricity through Sakura as he continued speaking. "You saved me from my darkness Sakura... That's something I will never be able to repay you for." He admitted truthfully. "But you in turn allowed Itachi-nii to see his own light, even if just for a short while..." Sakura could see it hurt Sasuke just to say all this, obviously still conflicted when it came to Itachi, although one thought did strike Sakura –_Sasuke had faith. _At least, he was trying, so desperately she was sure, to hold on to the belief that Itachi was innocent, and that Itachi cared, and that Itachi _would _come back. And that was more than she had hoped for at this point. And yet, Sasuke continued to speak. "I believe... No, I _know_ that you can make him see that light again." Her heart clenched once more.

"Sasuke-kun... Itachi... he is-" but Sasuke cut her off before she could finish.

"You may think he is, Sakura... but he's not too far gone to save... He needs _you_ to realize this" he reaffirmed, stealing the words from her mouth. "So please..." he sounded so, _so_ desperate as he spoke and it made Sakura tear up as she saw and felt his strong emotions, tears welling up in his own eyes. "Don't give up on him... _Onegai."_

_Please bring Itachi back to us..._

And for emphasis, Sasuke was now before her, sitting alongside her and bringing her into a hug, tears staining his cheeks and subsequently the crook of her neck. Because all this time, despite the fact that he had tried so desperately to hate his aniki for all the pain he had caused him and his mother to go through, the teachings of Sakura-oneechan had always been there, _Try to keep an open mind Sasuke-kun, because do you think that the Itachi-nii that you know and love would do that? _It had been hard –but Sakura-oneechan was too big of an influence in his life for him to _not _listen to her. And now the truth was finally revealed to him, by the very same Sakura-oneechan that he had practically idolized growing up, and he was finally given the chance to actually see Itachi for who he was –an innocent martyr. And knowing this, he simply could not turn his back on Itachi –His Itachi-nii, whose turn it now was to be saved. But this was not something Sasuke alone could do. Hell, Sasuke wasn't even entirely sure that he could do it at all. But if there was one thing he was sure of, it was that Sakura could. Because Sakura had never ever let him down before, _not once_, and he knew she wasn't about to start now.

"S-Sasuke-kun..." She wasn't sure what it was that she wanted to say as tears began falling from her own eyes.

"Please save him Sakura." He begged, repeating this mantra yet again, this time but a whisper, enveloping his arms around her a little harder.

And, yet again, Sakura was forced to come to the realization that Itachi had become her burden, ever since she had accepted that damned mission five months ago. Even though her official mission was over, her real mission had just begun. "I'll bring him back, Sasuke-kun. I promise." And she allowed herself to be cried on, because her Sasuke-kun was nothing but a child when it came to such matters, and he would always be her little Sasuke-chan from now on, someone who she needed to protect.

But even though she told him this, and even though her heart desperately wanted it to be so, her mind betrayed her. Because her brain, the only rational part of her, told her that it would be impossible –that it was impossible, just by the way Itachi had spoken to her earlier that day, just by the way he had _looked _at her, even.

But she didn't have the courage to tell Sasuke this, and she highly doubted she ever would. It wouldn't matter anyway. Just because she didn't believe it didn't mean she wasn't going to try. This, unfortunately, was not something her heart would let her accept without a fight, even if she desperately wanted to just give up.

Sakura wasn't sure how long they had stayed like that, but by the time they heard Saki and Mikoto return from their grocery shopping, Sasuke withdrew himself from Sakura's arms, informing her that he was going to go shower, although Sakura knew this to be an excuse so that Mikoto and Saki didn't see his tear-stained eyes.

* * *

"It's such a shame that you're being sent out just as quickly as we get you back Sakura." Mikoto frowned in disapproval.

"The duty of a shinobi calls Mikoto." Sakura shrugged. "But you can rest at ease, I'll have Naruto, Sasuke-kun and Kakashi-sensei there for me this time around." She offered words of comfort to Mikoto.

"Well, at least eat up so you can begin your journey on a full stomach. I made your favorite."

Sakura grinned –Mikoto truly was the best.

Before she could even begin to thank Mikoto for her delicious cooking, Naruto barged in through the door. "Man I'm starving!"

"Naruto you just ate ramen with Himawari-chan and Hiroto." Sakura glared.

"That was like two hours ago Sakura-chan." He dismissed her with a wave of a hand as he took his shoes off, hurriedly making his way to the dinner table, where he placed himself next to Sakura. "What's for lunch Mikoto-kaa?"

Sasuke appeared through the hallway freshly bathed just in time to hear Naruto's comment. "Mooch." He merely commented, sitting himself around the dining table, in between Naruto and Mikoto, knowing that his younger sister would throw a fit if she didn't get to sit next to her Sakura-oneesama.

"I have as much of a right to Mikoto's delicious cooking as anybody else in this house!" Naruto proclaimed loudly.

Although Sakura laughed, she refused to comment on it; it didn't matter, because Mikoto always cooked for an army anyway. After all, she never knew who was bound to show up to her dinner table. On occasions it'd be the entire Haruno bunch, sometimes Kakashi would drop by as well for a free lunch from time to time, and she'd even have Ino, TenTen, and Hinata swing by every now and then. And, well, Mikoto hated to disappoint those who came by, so she always made sure she was well prepared.

"Saki's currently pestering Kakashi-san for some Mangekyou training once he gets back from your mission, but I'm sure she'll be here in no time." Mikoto explained with a small smile.

And just as she had said, after a few short minutes, Saki showed up, a triumphant smile on her face, Kakashi following shortly behind her. "Tadaima!" Saki greeted loudly, pleased to find the seat alongside Sakura empty.

Kakashi stepped in with a small wave and his typical greeting. "Yo!"

"You just got bribed with Mikoto's cooking, didn't you Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura raised a delicate eyebrow.

"...I mean, I wouldn't necessarily say _bribed, _but yes, essentially." Kakashi gave a curt nod.

All minus Sasuke, who opted to smirk, laughed. "I'll go get an extra seat!" Mikoto exclaimed, running off and returning a minute later with a spare chair.

And so, Team 7, Mikoto and Saki enjoyed a pleasant lunch, up until the clock struck two and it was finally time to start their mission to Suna.

* * *

"We have orders to kill Orochimaru if we see him."

Itachi glanced at Kisame, inquiring on when and why this came to be.

"Apparently he attacked Konan after his prisoner escaped." Kisame explained, reading the scroll that had been given to him just moments prior by a White Zetsu clone.

"Hn"

"I wonder if she's been set free then." Kisame hummed out in curiosity. "She was awful young."

Itachi could tell that Kisame was just trying to get him to talk about the Haruno –about the Sakura Haruno they knew eleven years ago, so he decided to just ignore Kisame, primarily because he didn't have anything to say on the matter.

After all, the Sakura Haruno that had been held prisoner by Orochimaru had indeed escaped, and he had actually conversed with her just hours ago, not that Kisame needed to know anything. No, it wasn't that he didn't trust Kisame, it was just that, simply put, it wouldn't change anything, and he didn't want Kisame getting involved and meddling in things that he wanted to just be left alone. Besides, he reasoned, Sakura's time-travelling was her own business and not his, so it wasn't fitting for him to speak about it. If she had wanted him to know, she would have told him, instead of bailing out before Kisame reached the second floor building and spotted her.

Instead, Itachi decided to change topics. "Let's avoid main roads." Itachi opted to reach Konoha via side routes and forest entries.

"We should be fine." Kisame raised an eyebrow in question.

"Konoha-nin will be nearby if they are still searching for the pink-haired kunoichi." Itachi easily lied, not that Kisame had any clue of it.

Kisame shrugged, seeing the logic in Itachi's words. They didn't need news getting back to Konoha that they were currently messing around in the Fire Country, for there was only ever one reason to be there, and they didn't need him suddenly under high surveillance by the time they approached him.

So with that thought in mind, he shut up, knowing he wasn't going to get anything out of Itachi about the Haruno.

* * *

"Alright, we'll set up camp here." Kakashi exclaimed. The sun had set long ago, and Kakashi had wanted to make it at least half of the way to Suna so they could be there by the time the afternoon rolled around, so they wouldn't have to be running under the extreme heat of the Wind Country.

"I'll take first watch." Sasuke offered quietly, knowing that it was the best one to take –best to stay awake while you're still up than be rudely woken up in the middle of deep sleep.

"I'll take whatever you guys don't want." Sakura offered, but Kakashi easily shook his head.

"You've had a rough past couple of days, why don't you rest tonight Sakura?" he suggested.

Although she desperately wanted to say yes and hit the hay, Sakura refused to be given any special treatment. As such, she shook her head stubbornly "I'm fine Kakashi-sensei."

There was some debate, but eventually Sakura got her way, her team assigning her to stand watch after Sasuke, which would leave her awake during the heart of the night.

Which in all honesty, she didn't mind. The stars had a way of soothing her anyway, and the calm silence around her team (for once), gave her a feeling of quiet content. It wasn't often that she felt at peace with so much silence around her, but also having her teammates around her as well, after all.

Before she knew it, Sakura found her thoughts drifting back to Itachi –where was he now? On his way to Konoha? Would they perhaps run into them? And if so, what would happen?

As Sakura pondered this, from the shadows, she heard a rustling in a nearby tree. Without much hesitation, her eyes turned a golden shade, but she noticed with slight confusion, that what she had thought would have most certainly been an intruder was only a crow –yet not an ordinary crow, as Sakura could, with her Flower Eye activated, see the chakra flowing within it.

'_Itachi's crow.' _Sakura told herself, noticing how the crow was keeping a close eye on their current area. How long had it been following them? Sakura wasn't sure; Itachi's summonings always did find a way to remain hidden if that is what they wanted, and with this thought, Sakura realized that the crow had perhaps made its noise to alert Sakura of its current location –to alert her that Itachi was keeping a close eye on them.

A sudden lurking fear appeared from deep within Sakura, wondering if Itachi had purposely tricked her to lure Naruto out of Konoha, where he was presumably as safe as he would ever get, and the thought was scary enough for her to shift uncomfortably in her sleeping bag, her eyes darting towards Naruto's sleeping figure.

The summoning must have noticed this uneasiness, soon afterwards flying from the tree into the clearing, perching itself on a nearby log, a few feet away from Sakura. Its obsidian eyes stared directly at Sakura's golden ones, and curiously, Sakura wondered what it was that the crow was trying to relay to her.

Perhaps, that it was a friend? She sure hoped so, not just for Naruto's sake, but for the sake of her belief in Itachi –she hadn't even questioned him when he told her to take Naruto away from Konoha, believing that even if he felt betrayed by her, that he was still, deep down, an ally to Konoha. So if this had all been a trick, if Itachi was using Sakura's own hesitancy and her own foolish feelings against her, well... Not only would it leave Sakura devastated, but it would leave her with the reality that Itachi was definitely too far gone to save, contrary to what Sasuke had been trying to tell her earlier that day.

From a few feet beside her, she felt Kakashi begin to stir slightly, and the crow, also noticing this, gave Sakura one last look before it flew off and perched itself back on the tree it had originally been on, and Sakura noticed that it once again began its watch on their campsite, its eyes never leaving her figure.

And so all through the night, up until her shift ended, Sakura too, stared into the eyes of the crow, knowing that from wherever it was that Itachi was currently located, that he knew where they were and what they were doing.

* * *

"Do you sense him?" Kisame muttered quietly, perched atop a tree on the outskirts of Konoha, clearly hidden and camouflaged from anybody's view.

Itachi did not speak for a long time, surveying the lit up city before him. "Ie" he stated.

"How could we have possibly missed him? He should still be in the hospital, what with the injuries he sustained from the explosion a few days ago." Kisame bit the inside of his lip in irritation.

"Let's go." Itachi wasted no time in turning back and fleeing from Konoha –he never liked to stay there too long if he could help it.

Leaving Konohagakure, Itachi couldn't help but note that Sakura, despite fearing him and having not seen or heard of him for eleven years, had still put enough faith in his words to heed his warning and take their Jinchuuriki away.

Itachi quickly summoned his crow, ordering him to search for Sakura's team and keep a watch on them, if only for the sake of making sure they didn't run into each other on their way back to the Akatsuki base.

"What's the raven for?" Kisame question from alongside.

"We might be able to locate them with an aerial vantage point."

Kisame nodded, agreeing that Itachi's crow would be able to move much faster and more easily undetected compared to two S-Class missing-nin; as such, it was more probable that Itachi's summoning would find the Jinchuuriki if he weren't too far from where they were. And hell, if they were to locate him, it would be even better –he would be away from Konoha, and they wouldn't have to fight off twenty or thirty shinobi just to try and capture him; just two or three at the most, which was most definitely beneficial to them. "We should alert Leader about our failure to capture him." Kisame stated, but noticed that Itachi made no move to activate the hologram. With a sigh, Kisame decided that he would take this task upon himself.

And so, five minutes later, Leader, or Pein, found himself walking down the halls of the Akatsuki base, entering a room where a sole person resided, a man with messy black hair and an orange swirly mask.

"Itachi and Kisame have failed in capturing the Nine-tails. He is not currently in Konoha, and his whereabouts are unknown." Pein stated, getting right down to business.

"It's fine." He began slowly. "As of now, we should put our plans to capture the Nine-tails on hold; other things take precedence." Pein raised an eyebrow in question, although he knew that Tobi, or as he referred to him as behind closed doors, Madara, could not see it, his back facing Pein. "Before all else, we must find and eliminate Orochimaru." And even though Madara explained his plans, Pein could still not understand why such a pest would take precedence over the Nine-Tails.

"Thanks to the stunt that Konan pulled, Orochimaru will stop at nothing to sabotage us." He began. "Although I do not know how the Haruno he had prisoner escaped, I do know that for some reason, he desperately wants her eyes, correct?" Madara now turned around, staring at Pein expectantly.

"Correct" Pein confirmed with a small nod.

"That Konohagakure kunoichi is close friends with the Jinchuuriki. If war breaks out before Orochimaru obtains his precious eyes, she will no doubt be caught in the cross fire that ensues; her eyes will no doubt be gone before he could even get his hands on them. Unlike Orochimaru, I'm not one to underestimate the power of a Haruno; there's a reason why they were eliminated long ago. She'll be the first to go once I get my hands on her. I'm sure he's noticed this, and the only chance for him to get them is for him to stall out our plans as long as possible."

Pein stood there, quietly taking in the information.

"He'll stop at nothing for the Flower Eye, and I'm sure you know better than most how much of a temperamental bother he could be when he wants to be. He'll ultimately be a bigger hindrance to our plans if we don't accordingly take him out first."

And that was absolutely true –Pein knew exactly how much of a temperamental ass Orochimaru could be, and he also knew one thing –Konan was a Haruno, which is why he most likely attacked her, discovering this shortly after his Haruno prisoner had escaped (He had high suspicions that Konan had set her free, but he did not care, nor would he blame her for this –she was family, after all, and family had always come first and foremost for Konan)

And although he wasn't one to underestimate Konan's skills, he knew fairly well that Orochimaru was a slippery bastard –and if he could not get his eyes from the Konoha kunoichi, he'd definitely set his sights on Konan's highly developed and refined eyes, and this he could not have. This is why, above all else, he had decided to intervene in the battle between Orochimaru and Konan –because shortly after Konan's Maple Tree emerged from the ground, it was obvious what she was, and Konan's safety was one of the most precious things to him.

"Hai" he said, turning around briskly and exiting the room in which Madara currently resided. Although he didn't completely see eye to eye with Madara's plans, he didn't care –because if this meant assuring Konan's safety first and foremost, he was all for it.

"One more thing, Pein." Madara briefly stopped Pein from making his exit just yet. "Inform Itachi to come see me once he returns from his mission."

"Hai"

* * *

_That insolent bitch-!_

_Orochimaru seethed, suddenly appearing from somewhere within the grounds of the Akatsuki, but hurriedly (or as fast as he possibly could in his current state, at least) began running, fearing that Pein would hunt him to finish what he had started. Lucky for him Tobi had been stupid enough to interfere when he did, or else he would have been a goner for sure under Pein's wrath. Perhaps trying to steal Konan's Flower Eye from right underneath Pein's nose had not been the brightest idea he had ever had, but with his Haruno heir long gone he supposed he had to settle for the next best, the eyes of a skilled S-Class criminal, which was not at all shabby either. _

_Before he could reflect further on his actions, he felt a sudden presence behind him, although he was glad to note that it was not who he had feared._

"_Orochimaru-senpai!"_

"_Tobi", he acknowledged somewhat angrily, knowing that this was not the time and place to begin conversing. That stupid brat didn't know when to shut up, that's for sure._

"_I'm sure if Orochimaru-senpai makes up with Konan-chan and Leader-sama that they'll forgive Orochimaru-senpai, and then Orochimaru-senpai can return to the base!" he proclaimed, hesitantly but hurriedly approaching Orochimaru, surveying his injuries._

_Orochimaru sneered. There was no way he could return to Akatsuki and continue his operations there, knowing full well that Konan was still there and still had the unquestioning loyalty and support of Pein._

"_Sorry Tobi, looks like you'll be on your own from now on." He wasn't sorry –not one bit. Actually, he was rather glad he attacked Konan, truthfully, he thought, turning around and beginning to walk away from Tobi._

"_No, I won't." Suddenly Tobi's voice changed, no longer taking on that childish tone, and behind Orochimaru, he could sense a presence so dark and evil he was almost taken aback. "See, we've got a few things in common, Orochimaru. You want that kunoichi, and I want every Haruno there is __**dead**__." The finality in his voice notified Orochimaru that Tobi was much, __much __more dangerous than he had previously led on. "So how about we strike up a deal?"_

_Orochimaru smirked. He liked deals. And so he turned around, eyeing Tobi, who no longer held the air of a child, but instead, a full blown S-Class, mass murdering missing-nin –this he could work with. "I'm listening." He spoke._

"_Pein is a fool." Oh yes, he was __**definitely **__listening now, he decided. "Truth is, I can only keep lying to him for so long –eventually he'll see that our aims with Akatsuki aren't exactly the same." Tobi began. "I have a very small window of opportunity, and I must make sure things go my way before I dispose of Pein and Konan, and their silly ideals. But let's just say the appearance of that Haruno has thrown me into quite a pinch, and now more than ever my time has been cut drastically." He stated._

"_So what do you get from helping me?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. He knew exactly what Tobi, whoever he was, was offering him –immunity from Akatsuki and the chance to obtain his eyes before war broke out, which was a pretty sweet deal in all honesty, but he knew there had to be a catch._

"_Why, I get that pesky Haruno off of my hair –and all of her little kinsmen, for that matter. You do to them as you see fit, experiment on them for all I care, but I want them __**gone**__." He emphasized. "Plus, I'm sure when the time comes to enact my plans, there'll be room for you to stand alongside me."_

"_You've got yourself a deal." Orochimaru stated, biting back his tongue on the important piece of information that Tobi currently lacked, that being that Konan herself was a Haruno. Of course, why would he reveal such information, if it would only further push Tobi away from Akatsuki (which Orochimaru needed him in, in order for him to in turn guarantee his safety from the likes of Pein or Itachi, etc.), but it might push Tobi to do something reckless such as killing Konan and abandoning Akatsuki. And this he also could not have, because, simply put, Orochimaru needed options. If he could not obtain the eyes of the unknown Haruno from Konoha, of which he had strong suspicions of her true identity as the heir, then he had to settle for second best, clearly behind Konan, who was much more accessible to him currently than that of the pink-haired kunoichi. And so, until he had in his hands the eyes of a powerful Haruno, he dare not share this bit of information with Tobi, who he now identified to be a lot more conniving than previously thought._

"_Well then Orochimaru, it'll be a pleasure working with you."_

_And just then Orochimaru saw it, the slight malicious glint of Tobi's one red eye, and that was all that needed to be said on the matter. "The pleasure's all mine." He grinned wickedly._

**End of Chapter**

**So… I'm not going to lie, this has, so far, been my favorite chapter to write ^-^ The little heart to heart between Sakura and Sasuke was just so touching and awe-inspiring for me. Was it too OC for Sasuke? What do you guys think? Because he had family and Sakura-oneechan to help him get back on his feet, I wanted to incorporate what his personality would be due to this change in events. I wanted to leave him relatively the same, but also with a soft spot for Sakura and Naruto, but also leaving him noticeably vulnerable when it came to such topics as Itachi. What do you guys think? Was it over done? :s**

**Plus, the plot is slowly starting to reveal itself an thicken ^-^ I can't wait until this story progresses ^.^ You guys are going to absolutely love it, trust me :p **

**Also, I know there isn't much ItaxSaki going on right now, but take into consideration that they haven't seen each other for eleven years (roughly two years on Sakura's behalf), and whereas Sakura is struggling to understand where she and Itachi stand in their relatively sloppy past, Itachi is trying to push down the feelings he had long since buried, so this'll be an interesting internal conflict for Itachi, I feel ^.^**

**IMPORTANT: Now, I stated before hand, that most of every chapter will include some form of flashback, in order to add some more depth and show some of the changes that Sakura caused during her stay. I have the next 2 chapters already written out (the third is in progress as I speak), but my question here is if there are any particular flashback you guys, the readers, would want me to include to perhaps clear up some misunderstandings or a few things you may be curious about? If you guys like the idea, drop it in a review or a pm and I'll be sure to include it in a chapter if it seems like a good one or popular enough ^.^**

**Questions? Concerns? Critiques? Comments? Suggestions? Leave 'em all here!**

**Any and all feedback is much appreciated!**

**-MarzSpy**

_**P.S. IMPORTANT NOTICE: **_**As you guys are aware, I am rewriting Sakura's New Past, in particular the earlier chapters that were made back in like 2009 whch are riddled with mistakes, poor writing, and in general a very sloppy plot. In case some of you would like to be notified of some of the major changes that are occurring while I reconstruct it, instead of reading it all over again, you can check out my _profile._ After the 'Updates' section of my profile, I am listing the changes (either changes in plot or structure) that I am making as I revise it. Also, if there are certain chapters that I feel have changed greatly, I may include a "You Might want to Re-Read" right after, to indicate that it shows a major event change or may be crucial to the development of the plot or may fix some of the inconsistencies that follow the story.**

**P.P.S.: There is a poll up in my profile, check it out if you have time. Depending on what you guys vote, it'll be what I start to prioritize!**


	6. Forming Alliances

**This chapter has a wee bit of a longer flashback, due to a fight scene 0: I apologize before hand.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form**

**Chapter 6: Forming Alliances**

* * *

_"Naruto... Naruto, wake up."_

_"Sasuke-kun? Sasuke-kun where are you?"_

_"Anybody?"_

_It was pitch black. She didn't know what was going on, or where she was, for that matter. One second Team 7 was resting their heads, clearly hidden from anybody's view, and the next second there was a strong burst of wind, so strong in fact that they were quite literally swept off their feet as they were sent spiraling in different directions._

_She had landed not far from Naruto, no thanks to him grabbing on to her protectively and shielding her from any incoming damage that may come towards them, although he had hit his head hard enough to find himself unconscious (probably protecting her), but Sasuke was nowhere to be found._

_Her eyes darted around her: left, right, left, right, but she could make out nothing._

_Then, suddenly, a rustle of a bush, and Sakura immediately whipped out a kunai from her kunai holster, ready to strike whatever it was that would come through that bush._

_But then Sasuke appeared, and Sakura couldn't help but feel any more relieved, quickly returning her kunai back to where it belonged._

_"Sasuke-kun!" she approached him. "What happened? Are you okay?" she examined him quickly, trying to pinpoint some form of injuries -but curiously enough, found none._

_"I don't know." He admitted truthfully, meeting Sakura half way. "Sakura-chan, we need to get out of here before whoever did that finds us."_

_Sakura's eyes widened slightly, but she nodded nonetheless, albeit somewhat hesitantly. "Sasuke-kun, stand guard up ahead, I'll wake Naruto."_

_"Hn." Sasuke quickly nodded, returning back from the bush he had just entered from. "I'll try and find a place we can hide."_

_Sakura waited until Sasuke was clearly out of hearing shot before she knelt down beside Naruto once more and started shaking him, half-panicked. "Naruto wake up! We need to get out of here! Sasuke-kun... he's..." her eyes wanted to water momentarily. "We need to find Sasuke-kun, come on. Please, Naruto..."_

_Because Sasuke, no matter how close they were, would never make the mistake of adding an endearment to her name –that was not the Sasuke-kun that she had grown up with. Besides, what with the beating she had taken from the fall, even with Naruto protecting her, Sasuke should at least have a scratch on him._

_As she begged, silent tears rolling down her cheeks, she began to feel Naruto stir. "Oh thank Kami, come on Naruto, get up...__" she shook him once more, relieved when she saw his eyes open. "Sakura... chan?" she was but a blurry fluff of pink to him for several seconds. "What happened?"_

_"I don't know, but come on, we need to leave."_

_"Sakura-chan."_

_Her eyes darted as the impostor Sasuke entered the clearing. "Naruto's up, that's good. Come on, I found a safe place to hide for the time being. He tried to approach them, but suddenly Sakura got aggressive, pulling out a kunai menacingly. "Sakura-chan?" he questioned._

_"Don't you dare take one more step towards us." From the sidelines, Naruto couldn't be any more confused, but he began to stand, knowing that if Sakura had a reason to be distrustful of Sasuke, that he should too._

_"Sakura-chan? What are you talking about?"_

_"Stay away." She threatened once more. "You're impersonating the wrong person. Sasuke would never call me Sakura-chan."_

_There was a long silence as Sakura's words sank into the minds of the other two male shinobi around her. Suddenly, the seemingly confused Sasuke stopped, smirking slightly. "You're much cleverer than you lead on." The voice sounded so dark and evil, and so un-like Sasuke that it scared her._

_Sakura ignored him. "W-Where's Sasuke-kun? What'd y-you do with him?"_

_"You have other things to concern yourself with, Sakura-chan." Said Sasuke impersonator stated, suddenly charging towards Sakura. But then Naruto, trying to be a hero, pushed her down._

_"Don't you dare lay a finger on Sakura-chan! I'll kill you, Dattebayo!"_

_Sasuke rolled his eyes. Genin –they always thought they were so tough. Naruto charged towards him, only to have his ass sorely handed to him as he was punched against a tree, hitting his head once more and falling back. But he stood up, albeit with much effort._

_"Oh? Still want more?" Sasuke sneered, slowly approaching the barely standing Naruto and suddenly gripping him by the throat. "I don't particularly care for the Nine-tails, I'm sorry to say." He muttered with a slight frown, quite literally choking the life out of Naruto._

_"Leave him alone!" Sakura suddenly appeared from above, a flurry of kunai being thrown directly at Sasuke, she following closely behind, ready to pounce on him._

_But Sasuke merely smirked, throwing Naruto aside and focusing his attention on his previous target, easily deflecting the kunai, but letting the kunoichi pounce him. She brought him to the ground, ready to slash his throat, but suddenly he turned into a log, and before Sakura had any time to register, she was being hurled to the side by a powerful kick that left her without air for several seconds. She landed on the dirt roughly, skidding to a short stop. "You want to play Sakura-chan? Let's play."_

_Sakura looked on fearfully at the voice, not being able to pinpoint where he was. He was nowhere but all too quickly he was everywhere, kunai and shuriken piercing her arms and legs and drawing blood from everywhere, as she desperately covered her face, looking for a way out of the barrage. She could find none, but then suddenly the barrage of weapons stopped as he appeared from above, the Sasuke impersonator leaping in a similar fashion that she had just minutes prior._

_Sakura swiftly rolled away, on her feet much faster than she could ever imagine as she dashed away, the very same spot she had just been in now burned to a crisp by a fire jutsu. Her eyes searched frantically for Naruto, knowing that she couldn't just leave him there and run away -Naruto had just risked his life twice to protect her. "You should worry about yourself before you worry about others, Sakura-chan." Sasuke taunted her, looking at Naruto distastefully. And then he began walking towards Naruto, a blade suddenly morphing from his hand._

_'No!' Sakura panicked, her feet willing her to move even as her limbs screamed at her. "Don't you dare lay your hands on him!" Sakura's hands quickly went to work on a jutsu as a single Sakura suddenly turned into three, and Sasuke watched with mild curiosity. Such a basic jutsu, he couldn't help but think with a sneer._

_"Let's see... which one..." he hummed out, almost as if playing a game, watching the three quickly approaching Sakuras, a kunai in each of their hands. __"This one!" he exclaimed, going straight for the middle Sakura, charging at her with a punch that made solid contact –he got her. But as soon as he charged for Sakura, he failed to notice the other fake Sakuras completely bypass him and go straight for Naruto, both of which picking him up and carrying him away as Sakura stalled the impostor. "Try again, Sakura-chan." He smirked, unsatisfied with the skill she had shown so far._

_Sakura merely laughed, wiping away the blood from her mouth. "You haven't seen nothing yet, Shannaro!"_

_And then suddenly she was up and charging at him, her fists held high as she attempted to punch him, but he quickly deflected the punch and gave her his own. But this had been what she wanted, she smirked, as she gripped his fist._

_He tried to pull back, but she held on firmly with strength that surprised even him, refusing to release him, and before he could question why, suddenly there was another Sakura behind him, her hands forming a longer and more complicated set of handsigns. "Flower Style: Petal Barrage!" and then he was suddenly shredded by dozens of white petals, the Sakura he had just punched suddenly disappearing in a puff of smoke._

_'Her clone didn't dissipate the moment I attacked it.' Sasuke looked shocked as he was forced to jump away from the jutsu, but as soon as he landed elsewhere he saw Sakura smirk, and as he turned he saw why, an explosive tag attached to a kunai just feet away from him. 'When did she place that?' And he was sent hurling forwards, skidding to a stop mere meters from her as she carefully approached him, the grip on her kunai as tight as steel._

_"Now what did you do with Sasuke-kun?" she threatened once more, staring down at the Sasuke impersonator, no longer looking so much like Sasuke, but more like a snake shedding off his skin –in this case, Sasuke's skin._

_Sasuke smirked, eventually laughing. "You're interesting, Sakura-chan." But then he moved in speeds Sakura hadn't seen since Kakashi-sensei, and he was kicking and punching and stabbing her, and it was all Sakura could do to try and avoid them. "Come on Sakura, focus." He stated, almost as if he were training her, and it mentally made Sakura sneer. Of course she was focusing, she could have snarled at him, she didn't need **him** of all people to tell her this. And then, as she kept getting beat to a pulp, dodging suddenly became a little easier, slowly but surely beginning to dodge and evade more of his blows and attacks. "Yes... that's right... show it to me, Sakura Haruno-chan."_

_And just as she felt that she was getting the upper-hand, he suddenly had her by the throat against a giant tree bark. "My, what spectacular eyes." He hissed, a smirk appearing on his face._

_'What.' She didn't have time to think as he began to inch closer to Sakura. She looked on in fright as he opened his mouth, fangs protruding dangerously as he inched closer to her neck. 'Sasuke... kun...' she closed her eyes in fright._

_"Sakura!"_

_Her eyes snapped open as suddenly, kunai were hurled towards the unnamed shinobi, forcing him to detach himself from Sakura as he jumped back, Sakura falling to the ground as she heaved deeply, trying to regain the breath the man had stolen. "S...Sasuke-kun..." she panted heavily, trying to speak as she watched Sasuke, her real Sasuke-kun, suddenly appear in the clearing. It was clear he had taken somewhat of a beating, but whatever it had been, he had managed to overcome it just in time._

_"Where's Naruto?" he questioned, looking around the clearing somewhat desperately as he searched for the dobe._

_"I... I took him... away. He's safe." She panted some more, completely out of breath._

_"Hn." And then his eyes were on the impostor, who was now shedding off the fake Sasuke skin. "I suppose it was foolish of me to think that they could hold you off long enough." He eerily resembled a snake, with extremely pale features and slick black hair, a tongue resembling a snakes protruding from his mouth as well._

_"You hurt Sakura. You'll pay." And then Sasuke charged towards the snake-like nin, who simply sneered at Sasuke's cockiness as he too charged. And then metal clashed as Sasuke desperately fought to get in the lead, his Sharingan eyes on and ablaze, as Sakura watched on, now partially sitting in her own pool of blood._

_And then the nin landed a particularly hard blow on Sasuke, flinging him backwards as he landed with a thud near Sakura. "Sasuke-kun!" she shouted._

_But he ignored her frantic cry, getting up slowly. "Don't think I'm through yet, Sakura." He wiped away the blood on his face, and Sakura was left astonished, suddenly feeling over-whelming pride as she saw Sasuke charge back at the ninja._

_'He's protecting me... I need to find a way to help him...' but even as she thought this her limbs screamed at her, having taken too much of a beating to stand up and fight any time soon. 'Kami, please... somebody... please help Sasuke-kun...' Her eyesight became a little hazy, having lost too much blood._

_And then Sasuke and the nin separated, Sasuke beginning the hand signs to one of the most advanced techniques he could currently do. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" But even as he began pooling the chakra into his mouth, something within him seemed to pulse raw power within him._

_And Sakura watched, slightly hypnotized, Sasuke's figure from behind as he commenced his jutsu. Too disoriented, Sakura felt like she was hallucinating the figure of a man standing alongside Sasuke, his hand resting on Sasuke's shoulder. He had long messy orange hair, somewhat reminding her of Naruto, but just the sight of him was able to somehow comfort her._

_Sakura blinked, once, twice, and then said hallucination was gone, and she was left watching in the background as Sasuke's usual Fireball grew four times in size, massive enough for the snake-nin to watch in astonishment. "What the-" but he had no time to react as the jutsu, one of the biggest Fireball techniques he had ever seen, was also hurled his way in speeds that were much too quick for that jutsu, and even he could not get out of the cross-fire completely._

_And there Sasuke stood, astonished at the size of his jutsu, staring at his hands incredulously as he felt power rush through his body. 'Sauske-kun...' It almost felt as if he could hear Sakura's thoughts, and suddenly he was fueled further, charging towards the already heavily injured nin. His speed seemed to nearly double, the Sasuke impostor noted incredulously, and he watched in near astonishment, wondering if somehow the Haruno was to blame for this, as the real Sasuke promptly began attacking with a string of taijutsu, ninjutsu, and shurikenjutsu all at once._

_'It's no wonder he's Itachi's younger brother.' The snake nin sneered mentally, suddenly deciding that, with whatever force Sasuke had just acquired, there was no way he could do what he had originally wanted to do without attracting too much attention._

_The curse mark would have to wait._

_And so, with a particularly strong blow that sent him flying until he hit a tree, he stood up and stared at Sakura. "It was nice meeting you, Sakura-chan. I hope to see you again in the near future."_

_And then he was gone, Sasuke panting heavily in the middle of the clearing, waiting for a good minute before he decided that the snake-nin was definitely gone. And slowly but surely, he felt the sudden surge of raw power in his body dissipate, wondering if this was just adrenaline, or if he had just accessed some hidden part of his Sharingan that he didn't know about. Deeming the snake-nin no longer a threat,__ he turned around and returned to Sakura, kneeling down before her. "Are you okay?" he questioned, seeing Sakura, more blood than skin visible, somehow feeling that this question was a rather dumb question to ask -of course she wasn't okay. She needed medical attention as soon as possible._

_"I-I think so..." she stared up at him, never as glad to see Sasuke as she was now. She offered him a small smile, trying to erase the worried look he was giving her as he looked at her and assessed her injuries._

_"More importantly, what's up with your eyes?"_

_"Huh?" she questioned him curiously, her vision becoming hazier and hazier by the second._

_"They're golden, Sakura."_

_But she didn't even have time to respond as her vision suddenly went black, and her body fell over, Sasuke quickly catching her before she hit the dirt._

* * *

"It's come to my attention that Orochimaru's prisoner was a Haruno."

"Hn"

Itachi's eyes bore through Madara's own single-holed mask. Honestly, there was only one reason for Itachi to be standing before Madara as he inquired about the aforementioned Haruno –he was catching on. Because it wasn't even possible for Itachi to have set her free, having left the base literally fifteen or so minutes before the ordeal went down. Kisame was also not to blame (he was almost positive), and Tobi himself had witnessed Pein nearly murder Orochimaru, as he had learned from the likes of Deidara and Sasori with a little inquiry on Kisame's part.

"Had you seen the Haruno before her escape?" he questioned.

Itachi shook his head. "Deidara did. He'd know more about the Haruno." He simply stated, neither being too vague nor too informed, for either would come off as suspicious. After all, Itachi was a highly keen observer, so for him to show up with nothing would mean that he's holding back information.

"So you hadn't seen her at all?" Madara confirmed once more.

"Hn" he confirmed, yet again.

And then there was a small pause, almost as if Madara was hesitant upon asking the next question. "Are you sure... you eliminated that Haruno? The day of the massacre." He elaborated.

There was a small pause as Itachi contemplated his words. And then he met Madara's gaze with his own steely one. "Whoever it was burned in my Amaterasu long ago, she is definitely gone." The tone in Itachi's voice let Madara know that he was still not over it, and may indeed still be resentful about what Madara had made him do –but he had had no choice, really.

Madara was looking for any sort of lie in his words, he was sure. "Very well."

But now it was Itachi's turn to inquire. "Why do you think the two have any correlation with each other?" He was obviously asking if he thought the prisoner and the Sakura Haruno he had disposed of long ago were the same, and above all else, why he thought they did. Because it was obvious that he thought they might be the same person, or else he simply wouldn't be asking.

"No reason." Madara was quick to dismiss Itachi's concerns. "It's just, how many Harunos' could there possibly be in this world?" he questioned, and Itachi began sensing that Madara was getting at that they should all be dead, and none of them, regardless of how many were left, should look identical to one another.

"A Haruno or two, regardless of their strength, is not enough to stop our plans." Itachi stated simply.

"You're absolutely right, but I'm just covering my bases. You're dismissed Itachi."

Itachi gave a curt nod and promptly left, leaving Madara to his inner musings. _'No, a Haruno or two may not be enough of a threat to stop me, but a Haruno or two with the support of the last remaining Uchihas' might be...'_ And although he didn't show it, Madara was now becoming deeply troubled by the way things had developed.

* * *

_Knock_.

"Who is it?"

"Kisame"

Kisame looked up from examining his weapons, recognizing the voice that spoke. "Come in." he allowed Itachi entrance to his room, resuming his examination of his weapons. As Itachi entered the room, he shut the door behind him and then stood before him, waiting for Kisame to finish up whatever it was that he was doing. Kisame momentarily put his weapons away, gazing up to meet Itachi's stare. "Hai?" he questioned, thinking that Itachi had perhaps come back from Leader's office (he had, after all, been called in by Pein) with another mission.

"You did not release the Haruno, correct?"

The question caught him off guard, especially because Itachi had been adamant on leaving the Haruno out of their conversations ever since they had learn of her capture/existence just days prior.

"No... why? Is something wrong?"

"Leader is suspicious." Itachi easily lied (although in truth it was only a partial lie, because Madara technically was the leader, and he was suspicious, just not of Kisame).

"Oh" he spoke, his attention now fully on Itachi. "I admit I saw her in the building, but I didn't release her." And then there was silence as he mewled over his next few words. "I will admit though... that I was contemplating it."

Itachi raised a delicate eyebrow in question.

"She looked so much like the kitten I almost couldn't help myself, especially after seeing her being assaulted by Orochimaru like that –it brought on some unwanted memories, and I couldn't help but recall the few moments I was able to share with her." Kisame tried to shrug it off, as if saying it was no big deal, but even as he spoke the words he couldn't help but remember how he had literally saved Sakura from Orochimaru's barrage of snakes eleven years ago. "But, regardless of their similarities or her lineage, that girl wasn't Sakura. As such, I knew it would just be a hassle I wouldn't want to deal with. Orochimaru can be a real pain." Kisame merely sighed. "I am glad that she was able to escape though, however it was that she managed to do that. Pesky little booger she must be if she managed to repel Sasori's poisons on her own."

And that was exactly it; there simply was no way that she could have fought off Sasori's poison, especially having been under its influence for so long. Orochimaru had kept her heavily dosed from what he could tell, and there was no way she could have possibly built up an immunity for it in such little time, which meant that somebody had to help her escape –help her counteract the effects of the poison, and only the members of Akatsuki had these antidotes.

And with this knowledge came the realization that there was only one other person, other than Kisame and perhaps himself, that would benefit out of saving the kunoichi –Konan. Which, in all honesty, would make a lot more sense as to why Orochimaru had been seen assaulting Konan, and then promptly afterwards, Pein attacking Orochimaru with the intent to kill. It had to have been her.

Briskly, Itachi turned around, with all the intentions to end the conversation and figure out whether or not he should approach Konan; yet, Kisame had other ideas. "Why are you suddenly looking into the appearance of this Haruno?"

But Itachi had no answer for him, and after a few seconds, he began walking off again, hoping that Kisame would get the message, but Kisame either didn't understand or simply didn't care to comply with Itachi's wants. "Do you... do you think it's her?"

There was a long pause, Itachi's hands hovering over the doorknob to Kisame's room. "...No." and he was gone. Upon hearing the door close shut, Kisame couldn't help but sigh in dismay. Kami this boy was hard to understand –even harder to help, if he were being honest.

But whatever, Itachi had been, and always would be, a mysterious enigma he would never fully comprehend –it was best to accept this and move on rather that hover on it.

* * *

"Sakura-chan... It's so hot..."

Sakura looked at Naruto. "It's your own fault for refusing to choose lighter clothing." Sakura dismissed Naruto's complaining.

"They didn't have a shirt in orange, Dattebayo." Naruto grimaced.

"Not my fault you choose to be the flashiest ninja in all of the Fire Nation." Sakura mumbled, although she too was beginning to feel the effects of the heavy heat and all of the damned sand everywhere.

At said comment, Sasuke couldn't help but smirk, a small upward twitch of his mouth for the slightest of seconds before his frown returned. Sure, he didn't have the hottest of clothing on, but it was black, and therefore hot as hell.

"Come on, the faster we move the quicker we'll be able to get out of this heat. I'm sure Suna has some nice air conditioning." Kakashi tried to keep alive the morale of his team.

"You just don't want to hear Naruto complain any more." Sasuke stated.

"Well, I mean... doesn't the same apply for all of us?" Kakashi said with a hesitant smile.

"I resent that!" Naruto proclaimed with a frown.

"Hai, hai," Sakura dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "Kakashi-sensei is right, the faster we move the sooner we're away from the sun."

"And Naruto." Sasuke added in quickly.

"Yes, and Naruto." Sakura agreed with a grin.

"Mo... You guys are so mean."

Sakura let out a laugh. "Quit being a cry baby Naruto. You know I wouldn't be able to live without you." She didn't dare turn her back to face Naruto, knowing that he'd let her proclamation get to his head.

"S-S-SAKURA-CHAN... YOU DO CARE~!"

"Gahh! N-Naruto! Get off of me! It's too hot for this!"

"Sakura-chan! Just accept my love!"

"Dobe, get off of her." Sasuke narrowed his eyes in irritation.

"Oh, you're jealous now teme? Jealous Sakura-chan loves me more?" Naruto grinned, clinging on to Sakura's arm even harder now.

"Pfft. You wish." he quickly brushed aside Naruto's comment as he looked away in defiance. "I just don't want to be caught in the crossfire." And then, almost as if second-guessing himself, he added a quick "And everyone knows Sakura likes me more."

Naruto laughed loudly. "In your dreams Sasuke-teme...!"

But in between their mocks and their retorts, Sakura was visibly getting angrier and angrier, if not because Naruto was still clinging on to her, then because they eventually started kicking sand at each other and, subsequently, Sakura as well.

"You two..." she said very menacingly, enough for the two boys to stop antagonizing each other and size up the threat now presented upon them. Immediately, Naruto released Sakura and got as far away as possible, going out of his way to hide behind Sasuke (because Kakashi-sensei was now no longer anywhere in the vicinity). She took a menacing step towards them, simultaneously cracking her knuckles.

And from a kilometer away, Kakashi could only sigh as he heard an explosion, seeing a cloud of sand erupting from the distance.

His team sure was a special one, alright. Then again, he could recall the Sakura that he spent a full year with back when he was in ANBU with Itachi being practically the same way. He wondered if being around each other had actually been what made Sakura so violent...

_"SAKURA-CHAN~!"_

It was highly probable.

* * *

"Deidara, we have a new mission."

Said blonde looked up from his current clay structure. "Are we going for that One-tail, un?" He inquired.

"Yes, don't waste my time, let's go." Sasori snapped irritably.

"Wasn't that Tobi's Jinchuuriki?"

"Yes. Let's go." he emphasized once more, shooting a quick glare at Deidara.

"Where's he at now, un?"

"Looking for a new replacement. Say one more word and I'll kill you."

"Just because Orochimaru went rogue doesn't mean you have to take it up on me, yeah." Deidara grumbled, but said nothing more the moment Sasori sent a vicious glare his way, deadly enough to warn Deidara that if he didn't shut up he'd be getting his scorpion tail to the heart.

"H-Hai! Coming, yeah!"

But yes, Sasori had a right to be irritable. This wasn't his Jinchuuriki to capture -it was Tobi's and Orochimaru's, and now Orochimaru was out of business and Tobi had gone off somewhere, supposedly looking for a replacement, although Sasori was highly under suspicions that the fool was off trying to regain his previous teammate (after all, he had been the only one thus far that had been able to put up with him -Deidara had to switch partners ASAP, and knowing that Sasori had the worst temper of all times, his previous teammate, Orochimaru, got chosen instead).

Somewhere in between abruptly shoving his previous clay structure in his coat and running to catch up to Sasori, Deidara ran nearly face first into Itachi, who had looked terrifying enough to have Deidara swiftly side-step and avoid Itachi completely. "Sorry, un!" Deidara swore that all the angry people in the organization were somehow out to get him, he just knew it.

"Hn" Itachi bothered to comment as he entered the living room area that Deidara and Sasori had just exited, but upon finding Sasori and Deidara now gone and no one else in sight, he swiftly turned around and began walking elsewhere, opposite of Sasori and Deidara.

Tobi was out of the base, and as such, he had to take advantage of one of these few rare occurrences.

* * *

Konan was quietly doing away with some of the paperwork that Pein had entrusted to her, when suddenly she heard an opening of the door -strange, seeing as hardly anyone ever bothered to go to the library/study room of the base. Looking up, she found it strange to come face to face with Itachi, who stood before her, almost as if he had a reason for being here.

"Pein is currently in his room, if you were wondering." she looked back down, not wasting her time with what she expected to be what the Uchiha wanted.

"Hn"

And yet, Konan noticed that Itachi failed to move, even after five whole seconds. As such, she looked back up, a delicate eyebrow raised. "Is there something you need?"

"Haruno Sakura." Itachi began, not failing to notice how Konan tensed slightly at the mention, her eyes narrowing for a fraction of a second before returning to normal.

"What about her?" it was clear that Konan was feigning disinterest.

"You released her." he stated instead of questioned, and it was enough to unnerve Konan, although she didn't show it.

"Why would I possibly do that?" Konan casually leaned back on her chair, her arms crossing at the back of her head in a relaxed fashion.

Itachi did not speak for several seconds. "Because she is your kinsmen."

Konan's eyes narrowed. "Why would you even suggest that?"

But Itachi didn't even bother answering this question, already seeing the gears in Konan's head turning -what jutsu could she use? Would her reaction time be faster than Itachi's? How could she possible incapacitate him if she had had enough trouble with just Orochimaru? "I do not wish for a fight." Itachi stated, almost as if assuring Konan that she could put her weapon down, for she had already, in her hand, a paper bird ready to attack, having discreetly removed it from her hair when she had leaned back. "I bring a warning."

Konan's eyes narrowed once more, not just because she was caught, but because she didn't know what to make of the situation -frankly, she had never been close to the Uchiha, or any of the other members of Akatsuki as a matter of fact (although she had engaged in small talk with the likes of Deidara and Kisame), so why would he come and offer her a piece of advice? It didn't make any sense. Her grip on her origami paper did not cease, but she allowed herself to listen to Itachi (she supposed that if he had meant harm she'd already be dead anyway). "What about?" she inquired, after giving it some thought.

"Be wary of Madara." he merely stated.

Konan raised an eyebrow, as if questioning him. "Why?"

Itachi didn't bother to respond to this. "Orochimaru will keep your lineage a secret so long as he doesn't have any Haruno eyes. Keep it that way." And he opted to walk away, having said all he needed to.

As he was nearing the door, Konan spoke suddenly. "How do you know her?" Because, frankly, it was obvious that Itachi had known Sakura (hell, her name hadn't even been revealed to any of them, so there was no way he should know it as it is), if he was bothering to go out of his way to, in a way, protect Konan, someone who was no more than an acquaintance of his.

"The Uchiha Clan housed her in the past." the implication of the "in the past" was clear, and Konan could recall how Hiroto and Marika Haruno had returned their heir to the Uchiha Clan after the Haruno Clan Ritual. "She was also in my ANBU squad."

And then he walked out, not wishing to elaborate more than he had already -she knew everything she needed to know, after all, and that was all that needed to be done between the two of them.

Then again, Konan didn't care for much of an elaboration anyway.

* * *

"Welcome to Sunagakure. If you will please follow me, I will escort you to Kazekage-sama's office. He's expecting you four."

Sakura and the remaining members of Team 7 nodded and allowed themselves to be escorted by three Sand-nin, Sakura mentally thinking that being treated this formally in Sand was just plain... weird... After all, there wasn't much room for formalities when Gaara considered Naruto one of his finest and truest friends, and due primarily to the alliance formed between them, Konoha and Suna had been better called brothers than allied nations.

But obviously, Sakura, Shizune, and Tsunade were the only ones to know about this, and as such, she bit her tongue.

Fifteen minutes later, the three Suna nin dropped Team 7 off at the Kazekage's doorstep, and all waited tentatively for Kakashi to make the first move, as was his duty as the captain of the mission. He gave a curt knock on the door, and waited patiently. "Come in."

And so in they walked, into an empty room, the sole person sitting down on a rather grand chair, his arms folded before him, atop his desk.

In they entered, and as was proper to do, all of Team 7 knelt and bowed humbly before the Kazekage, a red-headed man with no eyebrows and heavy dark circles around his eyes -did I mention he was a year younger than all of the Rookie 9 generation? "Kazekage-sama, it is an honor." Kakashi spoke on behalf of the team.

Said Kazekage did not respond, opting instead to get up slowly, and cautiously, all members of Team 7 watched in morbid curiosity -after all, they had heard of how merciless the Kazekage could be, given you didn't get on his good side. Gaara walked around his desk, approaching the Leaf-nin until he was standing directly before the kneeling Sakura, and nervously, the three males in the room tensed slightly, as was usual for their over-protective selves when it came to the likes of their pink-haired teammate.

"Stand." It was only one word, but it held so much command and authority that none could help but comply to his wishes, Sakura standing before him, just a foot away, as they looked at each other eye to eye. "Sakura Haruno," he stated, almost tentatively, as if inquiring if it were really her.

"H-Hai." she gave a small respectful nod of acknowledgement, hoping that this first impression would be up to Gaara's standards, and that he'd like them enough to consider an alliance and-

But Sakura's thoughts were abruptly interrupted when, with a shuffle of his robes, Gaara suddenly moved, all the male members of Team 7 getting ready to pull out their respective weapons as they saw Gaara's sand shift around him, yet...

"Kazekage...sama?" Sakura raised a delicate eyebrow, more so questioning why in the hell Gaara was embracing her instead of question the sand that was slightly enveloping them (because out of the two, Gaara hugging her was definitely the weirder one).

But he did not respond to her, merely releasing his grip on her and staring into her eyes. "We have much to discuss. Come along."

Sakura was left flabbergasted as Gaara briskly turned and walked out of the room, Team 7 staring dumb-foundedly after him for several seconds. "Sakura-chan... do you know him?" Naruto asked, somewhat upset that somebody they didn't even know dared to come up to his Sakura-chan and just touch her like that.

"I think the real question here is if he knows me, Naruto..." she wasted no time following Gaara, realizing that the only way she'd find out what was going on in his head was if they followed him to whatever destination it was that they were going.

* * *

About ten minutes later, Sakura found herself, along with Team 7 and Gaara, in a deserted meeting room, all necessary jutsus and precautions made so that whatever they said would not be heard by any outsiders (this already told Sakura right off the bat that this would be interesting).

And then they sat down, Team 7 on one side and Gaara on the other, and they waited patiently for Gaara to speak.

"I... remember you." He settled for, as he stared deep into Sakura's green eyes. "The Sakura Haruno who got assigned to me, along with Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi." He gave a curt nod of acknowledgement towards Kakashi as he said his name.

"H-Hai..." Sakura said hesitantly. Because, regardless of the fact that Sakura had met him in the past, Sakura had met many people in the past and none had been able to remember her or identify her as this Sakura –so why him? "But how could you be so sure that we are the same Sakura?" Sakura questioned, intrigued.

"Are you not?" Gaara raised a non-existent eyebrow.

"W-Well... yes, but..." Sakura mewled over her words. "No one else made the connection. Why you?" she questioned genuinely, partially realizing that perhaps the only reason that Tsunade had made successful attempts at making an alliance with Suna was after her mission, once she had changed this timeline.

"Your scent." He answered simply, the sand around him beginning to surround Sakura as it almost playfully tousled her hair. "Shukaku has become favorably taken with you."

"H-Hey!" Naruto proclaimed hesitantly, not liking where this was going, if it was going wherever it was his mind thought it was going.

Gaara turned from Sakura to Naruto, examining him. "And you are the Nine-Tails, correct? Naruto Uzumaki."

"Yes." Naruto didn't back down, staring level-headedly at the fellow Jinchuuriki.

"And you remember nothing?" he questioned.

"Umm... no, not particularly..." he hesitated, scratching the back of his head. "Am I supposed to?" he questioned, looking at Sakura.

"Not that I know of..." Sakura shrugged slightly, looking back to Gaara for an explanation.

"The Gods favor you, Sakura-san." He began, and Sakura's eyes widened slightly. "Our beasts have strong ties to them. As such, they can sense the shifting times. Although I was affected as much as anyone else, Shukaku was not." True, Sakura could recall that Matsuro had explained to her that the beasts were creations of the Gods, but she had absolutely no idea what this meant to Gaara. "Up until the Chunin Exams, I thought nothing of our meeting when I was six, myself not being aware of the time change at the time." He began. "But your scents were irrevocably the same, Shukaku seemed to notice."

"Is that why you didn't attack Konoha?" Sakura inquired questioningly, and Sasuke, Kakashi, and Naruto tensed up beside her, not knowing that this would have been what had happened in the past.

"Hai." Gaara gave a curt not. "Shukaku hypothesized that you returned to the past to prevent some catastrophic event. Knowing your Time God, he knew that in order for her to allow this, it had to be something that would have surely meant the destruction of the Shinobi Nations. Subsequently, this includes the Tailed Beasts..."

"And Shukaku was trying to protect himself..." Sakura surmised, understanding what was happening.

"Correct." Gaara nodded. "Deciding that his best way of surviving was to let me have more control and be more passive, he informed me of the shifting times as well as simultaneously refused to take control during the Chunin Exams, leaving me out of service for the attack. Suna and Sound didn't seem to oppose much after I threatened to turn on them, though." There was a small malicious smirk on his face as he said this.

Sakura gave a small nod in understanding. "Wait a minute." All eyes suddenly turned to Naruto as he spoke. "Are you telling me that Kyuubi has known of this time change all along and hasn't said a word?" Naruto growled in frustration.

"Yes." Gaara gave a curt nod, his face expressionless.

"Why didn't he tell me anything?! I would have done so many things differently, Dattebayo!"

"Probably because you don't have good relations with your Jinchuuriki." Sakura suggested.

"Or perhaps because he hadn't already been extracted from you when the jutsu was commenced. He probably doesn't feel threatened enough to act on it." Gaara added.

"Probably both." Sakura gave a nod.

Naruto grumbled incoherent words, but said nothing more on the subject.

"So..." Sakura began, her eyes falling back on Gaara. "What changed? After I left, I mean?"

Gaara did not respond for several seconds. "Not much. Yashamaru attacked me shortly after you left. I presume now that you were trying to avoid this back then." He gave her a curt nod.

Sakura frowned. "Why wouldn't I? You are a comrade of ours, Kazekage-sama." Her bright emerald met his teal eyes.

Gaara did not respond to her words, perhaps not exactly knowing what to say on the matter. "Thanks to you, Temari and Kankuro seemed slightly less afraid of me. Their support over the years had been enough to keep me relatively grounded up until the time I saw you at the Chunin Exams. After that, becoming Kazekage was relatively simple. I was simply stalling up until you returned to this timeline, which Shukaku notified me of through a strong burst of chakra within me."

"Ahh..." Sakura chewed over his words. So maybe she had somehow helped Gaara, even if just a tiny bit...?

From beside her, Naruto gently nudged her in the rib. "Sakura-chan, I don't like this guy. He seems arrogant." His eyes narrowed suspiciously at Gaara, who stared back with mild boredom at Naruto's own conspicuous glances.

"He has every right to be, Naruto." Sakura snapped back at him, mentally wondering why in Kami's name Naruto was insulting the kage right in front of his face.

"Naruto." His name, suddenly called out by Gaara made him stand a little too straight, almost as if fearful that Gaara had heard him (which he had).

"So says Shukaku, you and I were close in the other timeline." He gave a curt nod. "I hope that we may establish such a friendship this time around."

"O-Oh..." a sheepish blush crept up on Naruto's face at Gaara's words. "Same to you, I guess..." he rubbed the back of his head nervously, realizing that maybe he had misjudged Gaara a little too quickly (but it wasn't his fault! Gaara had suddenly appeared and touched Sakura-chan like that, and goes as far as stating that his demon likes Sakura-chan! Truly most unacceptable for him!)

But, he supposed it was okay, seeing as it seemed that Gaara had no intentions of being with Sakura romantically.

"On to more pressing matters, I wish to know what it is that you have changed, Sakura-san."

Sakura did not speak for several minutes, all of the occupants in the room stared at her with slight curiosity, this curiosity being more apparent on Naruto's face than anyone else's in the room.

"Well, for starters, as you probably already know, you currently have Shukaku. In my timeline, at age fifteen you were attacked by Akatsuki, a team consisting of Deidara and Sasori. Naruto, Kakashi-sensei and I came to your aid to try and bring you back. I was left to fight off Sasori of the Red Sand alongside Lady Chiyo, whereas Kakashi-sensei and Naruto were left to chase after you. I defeated Sasori, but Naruto had arrived too late... Your beast was extracted, but Lady Chiyo used her forbidden technique in order to bring you back, sacrificing her life."

"You killed an Akatsuki member at age fifteen Sakura-chan?! Zugoi!" Naruto praised.

"I had help Naruto," Sakura shook her head, recalling how great of a help Lady Chiyo had been to her. "But anyway, as of now, the only key differences I have been able to identify other than that is that my clan is alive –some of the survivors, anyhow. Had it not been for me ordering my clan to return to Konoha, they would have eventually gotten captured by Orochimaru and used as test-subjects until they eventually died..." Sakura tried to ignore the anger that bubbled inside of her. Also, I managed to prevent the death of Mikoto and her child during the Uchiha Massacre. But for some reason, I also managed to keep Orochimaru in the Akatsuki. In my timeline, he had already deserted the organization long before your capture."

Gaara did not speak for the longest time. "Very well. Now, the only thing that is left is to create an alliance between our two nations. I presume it is what will be best in order to guarantee the safety of the remaining Jinchuuriki, correct?" he mainly asked Sakura this question.

"It is what Tsunade-shishou and I have been thinking, yes." Sakura confirmed.

"I warn you that the Elders are all very skeptical of this alliance. They think Konoha still has it out for us due to the failed attack on Konoha during the Chunin Exams. You'd be wise to not bring it up."

"Certainly, Kazekage-sama." Sakura gave a curt nod.

"Luckily, we have some in favor of this alliance already. Come, I'll introduce you to my ambassador." And so Gaara stood up once more, and they exited the meeting room, this time returning back to his office, where they could clearly see a figure waiting patiently, currently atop Gaara's desk. She was tall and slim, obviously the figure of a kunoichi, with an enormous fan on her back and her blonde hair pulled back into four pony-tails.

"Temari." Gaara quickly greeted as they entered Gaara's office.

"Kazekage-sama." She greeted with a bow, before examining the shinobi before her. "Well if it isn't the obnoxious blonde." Temari allowed a grin to appear on her features. "And the cute little Uchiha too."

"He's not cute!" Naruto grumbled.

"Nor little." Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"Hai, Hai" she dismissed them with a roll of her eyes, deciding instead to focus on Sakura. "And you, the Haruno right?" Temari eyed her from head to toe.

"Hai. Temari-san, correct?" Sakura reached her hand out to greet Temari.

Temari received the hand and shook it respectfully. "It'll be a pleasure working with you for the next few days," her statement was directed at Sakura, somehow feeling that she was the one in charge.

"I'm actually the captain." Kakashi raised his hand, sweat-dropping slightly.

"Oh, my bad, I couldn't tell. You lack presence old man." Temari laughed loudly, approaching Kakashi and slapping him playfully on the shoulder.

Kakashi bit back a frown. Old... man...?

"The meeting has been set for later today. I hope you all don't mind." Gaara spoke once more.

Sakura looked back up to Gaara. "We're ready whenever, Kazekage-sama."

Gaara gave a nod. "Good. If you will follow me, I will escort you to your living quarters for the duration of your stay.

* * *

"It doesn't cool down at all here, does it, Sasori-danna? It's so hot, un..."

"This is why human bodies are a burden." Sasori merely commented, glancing at Deidara for the slightest of seconds.

"Yeah, yeah, puppets are the best, un." Deidara rolled his eyes, not caring to hear the argument he had heard a million times already. "Let's just get the Jinchuuriki and leave already, un." Deidara began stepping forwards.

"Wait. We will do our reconnaissance at night. Your bird is too easily detected during the day." Sasori merely commented, turning around and jumping off of the rock in which they currently stood.

"But danna, un..." Deidara complained with a bitter frown. This only ever meant having Deidara fry under the hot sun...

Curse the stupid Wind Country.

* * *

Sakura admits she had never actually done one of these little ambassador meetings, but she knew that this was no time to feel nervous; she had had years of taking control of situations and ordering people around that speaking in front of an audience was not so much a scary thought, so much as the fear that she would order the Elders into the alliance and she'd come off as rude or impolite –that was where the real nervous-ness came from.

But she supposed, maybe she needed this, to prove that Konoha was a strong nation filled with strong, level-headed shinobi that Suna absolutely needed.

Regardless, she supposed she really had no time to debate this in her head, the Elders already filling up within the meeting room, Suna-nin standing respectfully and alert all around the room as was usual.

As all the seats filled up, Gaara suddenly stood to speak, all the Elders watching him closely. "As you all know, we are here to discuss a possible alliance with Konohagakure. Among us are four of their finest shinobi, among them one of the very last Uchiha and Haruno." Whispers immediately began among the Elders as they looked at the Konoha bunch, clearly able to identify said Uchiha and Haruno. "We also have in our presence Hatake Kakashi, one of Konoha's finest ex-ANBU members, and their very own Jinchuuriki, Naruto Uzumaki." At said mention, more whispers, as some Elders shifted uncomfortably in their seats –it was nerve-wracking enough being in the same room as just one, truthfully.

Gaara then promptly went to go sit down, in between Kakashi and Temari, as soon as Temari herself stood up and began speaking. "Kazekage-sama has appointed me the ambassador to Konohagakure. Unfortunately, Konoha's ambassador is away on an important mission, so Team 7 here will be speaking on his behalf." Temari began, trying her best to somehow avert the attention of the Elders from Shikamaru's absence, for they would surely take it as an insult."Alongside not just Nara Shikamaru's side, but our Kazekage and their Hokage, we have devised a plan that we feel will not only help unite the two nations, but will also help to expand our fields and eventually lead to a more prosperous future. First I will present Haruno Sakura, the Godaime's very own apprentice, who has taken over a vast majority of studies in Konoha's very own hospital, as well as leads most of the departments."

And so Sakura took this as her queue to stand up alongside Temari, who gave her a look of confidence, before she promptly gave a curt nod and then sat down.  
"As Temari just stated, I am Haruno Sakura." She let the words sink in as they looked at her. "Ever since the age of fifteen, I have been working in the hospital, and under Tsunade's guidance and tutelage, our hospital has nearly doubled in skilled staff, and our medical knowledge has vastly expanded." Sakura gave a small sigh. "The days of the Shinobi World Wars are far behind us, but the damage is still seen all around us. Sunagakure, once a great and fearsome rival and opponent, has been left crippled –more so your expertise in medical nin-jutsu."

And although the Elders hated to admit it, the Haruno was right.

"The key to a successful village lies within the village's ability to protect their shinobi in the line of duty, on and off the field. It is with much pride and honor that I attest to Konoha's best medical field in all of the Shinobi Lands. As such, we believe that there is much that we can learn from each other." Sakura gave curt nod, and suddenly Kakashi was standing alongside her.

"We propose to begin a medic exchange program, for starters." He began. "Some of our more skilled medics will be brought to Suna in order to begin teaching some of our more advanced healing techniques, and Temari-san also proposed in having some of your finer Suna meds travelling to Konoha, not just to learn, but also to teach Konoha about your very refined skills with poisons and their antidotes."

And then Sakura and Kakashi sat down, Sasuke standing up. "But that is just our initial plan pertaining to medical training and ninjutsu. Konoha is also widely known for creating shinobi of great caliber over the years. Some examples would be Minato Namikaze, Tsunade Senju, Kakashi Hatake, and although we are not proud of it, people like Orochimaru or Itachi Uchiha. With great clans such as the Nara, Uchiha, Hyuga, and Haruno, we will continue to bring strong, capable shinobi to this world." Sasuke began, and once more, Kakashi stood.

"Here, we are proposing a plan to build up several regimes with special fields, which will help both our nations excel in fields we may currently lack." Kakashi explains, noticing how many of the Elders began to contemplate this, some nodding in agreement.

"Some of Sunagakure's many talents include poisons, weaponry, tracking, cloth binding techniques, and puppetry, most of which being fields that Konoha may currently find themselves behind in." Sasuke explained.

"Suna, on the other hand, has notably weaker talents when it comes to genjutsu, elemental techniques, fuinjutsu, and over all, defensive and offensive strategies." Kakashi spoke. "We believe that, if we plan on unifying our forces under an alliance in the future, that it is crucial that we learn to not just cooperate with each other, but also learn how to learn from each other. Our nations may very well depend on it. Our eventual alliance will be the only thing to disband Akatsuki." Kakashi summed up, as Sasuke suddenly sat down, Gaara standing up once more as all eyes turned to him.

"As you all know, Akatsuki have been successful in capturing five Jinchuuriki already. There are four of us left, two within this very room now, the One-tail, and the Nine-tail. Other than that there is the Six-tails, currently under the protection of Kirigakure, and the Eight-tails, currently under the protection of Kumogakure." Gaara began, noticing how the Elders seemed unsettled by the news. "It is only a matter of time before Akatsuki sets their eyes on the rest of us –on your very own Kazekage. And if they ever obtain the remaining four, Suna will not be the only Nation to fall –we all will. As such, we must all make a conscious effort at trying to prevent this from happening. But our alliance is the first step in doing just that."

Gaara's strong words echoed within the room, and Sakura couldn't help but be mesmerized by the way he captured everyone's attention, even Naruto's, who had been sitting down alongside her, sulking for not being able to speak. And then Kakashi spoke "Currently, our Hokage, Tsunade-sama, is making efforts to reach out to the other aforementioned nations to attempt to form a sort of truce, an alliance to protect us Jinchuuriki and overthrow Akatsuki. But this alliance does not stop there. We want an ultimate peace and prosperity to settle over all nations, and it is with these hopes that we reach out to you now. As you all know, Kirigakure and Konohagakure are not on amiable terms." He explained, looking down at Sakura in feigned sympathy. "They are, after all, the culprits behind one of the worst massacre's in the history of all Shinobi Nations, at fault for the loss of nearly all our Haruno Clan members." He knew he got the Elders with that, nearly all of them sending Sakura a look of pity. "So, to state that we are skeptical of an alliance with them would be an understatement. Despite the bad blood, we are still attempting to make communication, because the lives of everybody are at stake. We are also aware of Suna's grudge with Iwagakure, and accordingly, we will respectfully hold off on a similar proposition with them until we hear a response from Suna."

And then there was silence as Kakashi bowed and sat down, the Elders looking at each other as they conversed.

"This will end the meeting for today. We will leave two day's rest for deliberation and pick back up later." Gaara dismissed everyone.

Team 7 quickly dismissed themselves, deciding to return to their sleeping quarters where they could rest and relax shortly after the room had cleared.

* * *

Sakura sighed upon entering the room she co-inhabited with Kakashi, although Sasuke and Naruto had also joined them to discuss the meeting. "Think they'll buy it?" she muttered aloud as she tossed herself on her bed, face up.

"I don't see why not! You guys looked super cool standing up there, Dattebayo!" Naruto grinned.

Kakashi let out a sigh. "If only that was all it took, Naruto."

"Well, I mean, all the points made sense. They were accurate, and you were cordial enough weren't you? Suna would be stupid not to accept." Naruto looked at Sakura and Kakashi questioningly.

"That's part of the problem, Naruto." Sasuke mumbled, his back leaning against the wall closest to Sakura's bed, one foot leaning on the wall and his arms crossed across his chest.

Before Naruto could ask the inevitable question, _I don't understand_, Sakura spoke. "This alliance is truly too good to be true. In all honesty, although Suna has very proficient skills in the aforementioned areas, Konoha could just as easily spend some time and learn all they need to." Sakura began, scratching the back of her head in frustration. "And I'm under suspicion that they feel the same. Obviously tensions between Suna and Konoha have been relatively high after their joint attack with Orochimaru and Sound –they killed our Hokage, after all..." Sakura mumbled.

"They may see this as a trap to try and get back at them, of sorts. Things had never been resolved, due to us hurrying around to try and find a new Hokage, and not to mention everything that had happened in the Chunin Exams had been enough to send us in a panicked mode, we didn't care much to deal with things other than what was going on at home." Kakashi explained.

"Oh..." Naruto mouthed, somewhat understanding what they were telling him.

"But the truth of the matter is, we need each other if we want to successfully stop Akatsuki..." Sasuke stated.

"And not to mention that Akatsuki might be going after Gaara soon..." Sakura mumbled under her breath, primarily to herself.

"Wait, what?" Naruto turned to look at Sakura in question, as did Sasuke and Kakashi.

"Oh" Sakura suddenly realized that Tsunade had probably not bothered to share this bit of information with them –hell, she hadn't even told Sakura, and the only reason she knew was because of Daichi. "Out of the remaining four, Gaara poses as the easiest target, and they've been rather... quiet lately..."

"The calm before the storm." Kakashi agreed quietly.

Sakura gave a nod. "At least, this is what Daichi and Shikamaru had surmised. There's really no proof; more or less a hunch." She shrugged her shoulders slightly. "Although it is something that we should be wary of, we can't exactly tell Gaara if we're not even sure that it'll happen."

"But we can tell him to be careful, nee?" Naruto asked.

"I'm sure he's already taking those precautions, Naruto." Sakura shook her head. "Shukaku is probably keeping him as safe as possible, already knowing what's to come."

And it was true. There wasn't anything that Sakura could possibly tell Gaara that he or Shukaku didn't already know. Had Shukaku not already known of the events of the future, then it was a different story, but as things stood, there was nothing they could say or do to help Gaara.

"Well, the faster we can get them to agree with this alliance, the quicker we can guarantee Gaara's safety, at least." Kakashi tried to add as a morale boost.

"Just one day..." Naruto whistled. "Hard to believe the fate of their nation could be determined in so little time."

"You make it sound like they're selling their soul." Sasuke rolled his eyes. "This is detrimental to their safety. They know that, they just don't want to seem desperate to accept. It'd be a sign of weakness."

Before any more conversations could be made, there was a knock on the door. Kakashi and Sakura looked at each other, not expecting guests.

"I'll get it!" Naruto eagerly jumped off the bed he had been sitting on to open the door, but he found as soon as he did that it was being barged through, as if they owned the place.

"Kami, we did a good job if I do say so myself." And in walked Temari, followed by Gaara and the other sand sibling, Kankuro.

Well, they did own the place, so maybe it was acceptable.

"I tell you Kakashi-san, you played that sympathy card a little too well. Have you been using it a lot?" she continued.

"Once or twice." Kakashi gave one of his small smiles, his only visible eye becoming nothing but a crinkle in his typical manner. In truth, he had used it a lot, particularly in the past when Sakura had left the timeline.

"Makes sense." And then she turned to look at Gaara, who stared at Sakura and Naruto, but said no words. "Well, clearly Gaara here is being shy. It was his idea for us to go out to lunch. You know, spread some publicity around about Suna and Konoha becoming allies. It seems fitting, right?"

And this they could not deny, especially not after hearing Naruto's stomach growl loudly at the mention of food.

So fifteen minutes later they were out and about, and Sakura kind of decided that the sand siblings hadn't changed one bit, if anything being a little more amiable towards their younger brother. But of course, because Gaara now had more control of his demon and was perhaps better able to control his bloodlust –did he sleep now? Sakura wasn't sure; probably not very much, but even some sleep would be an improvement.

And then after dinner, long after the sun had set, Temari had decided she would accompany Sakura in a little girl time while they went sight-seeing and shopping, all the other males deciding to return to their sleeping quarters.

And in the middle of shopping, Sakura suddenly got a strange vibe that she was being watched, and knowing her vibes were usually spot on, she couldn't help but feel unnerved, looking around suspiciously. Yet, she could find no one, not a single sign of somebody watching her.

"Sakura-san, is something wrong?"

Sakura turned her eyes to stare at Temari, who had just emerged from a small stand with two beverages in her hand as she handed one to Sakura. Sakura shook her head quickly. "No, I just..." She looked around once more, before turning back to Temari, "It felt like I was being watched..."

"Well, I mean, it could be due to the fact that you have pink hair, or the leaf insignia on your headband." Temari pointed out.

Sakura laughed. "Yeah, you're probably right." She dismissed her worry, but mentally decided that she'd be a little more careful for the rest of the night.

**End of Chapter**

**So I'm pretty much out of flashbacks that I find essential for the plot as of now. So as I stated in the previous chapter, if there is any particular flashback you guys would want me to include to perhaps clear up some misunderstandings or a few things you may be curious about, let me know! I'll be sure to include it in a chapter if it seems like a good one or popular enough ^.^**

**Also, as you guys can probably already foresee, there will be an altercation between Deidara &amp; Sasori v. Gaara, Sakura, etc. etc. My question here is if you think I should off one of 'em. I'm a fan of both but I don't think it very realistic to have both of them live with such a fight :0 tell me your opinions and what you guys think I should do? ^.^**

**Comments? Critiques? Questions? Suggestions? Leave 'em all here!**

**Any and all feedback is much appreciated!**

**-MarzSpy**


	7. Mission Success

**Hey guys! Here with another chapter =} Hope you guys enjoy it ~!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form**

**Chapter 7: Mission Success**

* * *

_"What is it?"_

_"Well, upon our reconnaissance in Sand, we came upon leaf shinobi, un."_

_"And?"_

_"Sasori-danna's sleeper agent mentioned something about a possible alliance forming between the two, yeah."_

_"Leader did not speak for a while, as if processing this information. "...Strike before alliances solidify between the two."_

_"Also..." Deidara spoke hesitantly._

_"There's more?"_

_"Well, I'm not sure if you're particularly curious to know, but I stumbled upon the very same kunoichi Orochimaru captured a few days ago, un."_

_More silence. "The kunoichi was Orochimaru's business, not ours. Leave her be."_

_And then the hologram of Pein was gone._

* * *

"Holy crap Sakura-chan, that's the fourth one in a row!" Naruto exclaimed loudly, throwing down his cards on the table harshly as Sakura stole the pot yet again -he swore, poker was seriously not his game.

Although Sakura should be elated about winning, she furrowed her eyebrows in distress. Among several of the things she had inherited from her mentor, her bad luck was one of them. "Something's not right..." she had a bad feeling in her stomach.

"Yeah, you cheating, that's what's not right." Temari huffed begrudgingly from alongside her, looking down at her nearly non-existent money. "Nee, Kankuro, help a sister out." she nudged him, only to have him laugh at her.

"You're funny." he merely commented -he had been smart enough to not mess with Sakura after her second win in a row, so he had managed to save himself the money.

Sakura tried to laugh at the antics of the Sand siblings, but the feeling at the pit of her stomach left her feeling with foreboding. What if... what if Daichi and Shikamaru had been right? What if-

"Hey Sakura-chan, are you in this round or no?" Naruto's statement snapped her out of her thoughts, as the people around the round table (the sand siblings and her fellow Team 7 members) looked at her.

"O-Oh, right! Sorry!" Sakura quickly threw in her fair share of the starting pot.

And then Sakura peeked at her two cards.

_Two Aces_

Something was definitely wrong...

Thirty minutes later, Sakura having won a majority of the games, they decided to call it a night.

"Alright, Sakura-chan," Temari stated with the new endearment Sakura had garnered herself while out shopping, "I'll see you tomorrow for some more shopping. I'll swing by at around noon." she gave Sakura a small grin.

"Sounds good." Sakura smiled back.

"Alright, good-bye Uzumaki. Cute little Uchiha," she paused momentarily to give Sasuke a teasing wink, "and Old Bag Hatake-san!" She, along with Gaara and Kankuro, were gone before either Sasuke or Kakashi could complain about their given nicknames.

Sakura sighed. She couldn't get over her nerves, and it was really starting to get to her. "Alright, I'm going to take a shower. I expect you two off my bed and out of my room by the time I step out." Sakura mumbled, grabbing her pack of belongings as she began walking towards the bathroom of the joint room she was sharing with Kakashi.

"Hai Sakura-chan~!" Naruto stated, although it seemed like he didn't plan on moving any time soon -figures.

"I mean it." she merely mumbled right before locking herself in the bathroom.

And of course, Naruto would wait until the very last second before bailing, quite literally storming out of the room with a quick "Goodnight Sakura-chan, Kakashi-sensei!" as she was quite literally emerging from the bathroom.

Sakura sighed -Naruto was impossibly stubborn.

* * *

Sakura awoke to the strongest feeling of anxiety, looking around anxiously to see if something was amiss. But Kakashi was sleeping casually in the bed next to her, and looking outside, Sakura could tell that it was probably barely even five in the morning, if that.

But why did she feel so... _wrong?_

_'I feel it too, Mistress,'_ Sakura was glad that she wasn't the only one (somewhat...) who felt like something was amiss.

"Kakashi" she muttered under her breath, getting up as she walked towards the window, her eyes narrowed as she looked outside.

"Hai" Kakashi spoke as if he had been awake the entire time, although it was probably Sakura's own movement that woke him up. The lack of the endearment made Kakashi wary as he watched Sakura staring out the window.

"Something's wrong." she muttered, turning to look at him. "I'm going to go find Gaara. Go wake the two bakas up and meet me at the Kazekage's tower."

Kakashi stared curiously at Sakura, watching as she went to the bathroom, having grabbed her ninja attire. "What do you think it is?" he questioned, partially wondering if this had something to do with them, or with Gaara. Did she perhaps think that Suna-nin were conspiring against them? It was probable.

"I sure hope it's not what I'm thinking." Came Sakura's response from the bathroom, and thirty seconds later, she emerged, fully dressed, pulling on her gloves. "Get going." she was out the door as she said that.

Kakashi didn't even wait, immediately getting up and shedding off his clothing. There was no time to waste. If Sakura felt something was off, chances were they probably were. As such, he had to make sure he got Sasuke and Naruto quickly.

* * *

As Sakura began hopping through the rooftops, she couldn't help but notice that there was not a creature stirring -only a single bird flying overhead, and she found it rather strange, seeing as, now that she thought about it, she hadn't ever even seen a single bird in Sunagakure before. It was flying, encircling the Kazekage tower just a few minutes from her current destination. And as she was reaching it, suddenly said bird seemed to swoop down, and Sakura realized that this bird was much, _much _bigger than any normal bird as a sense of dread filled Sakura's stomach.

Suddenly she was hurled back by an explosion at the corner of the Kazekage tower, having enough force to knock the wind out of Sakura and send her hurling back until she hit her head on a building. She immediately felt blood ooze from her head, but paid no attention to it as she pumped more chakra into her feet, hopping back onto the rooftops as she desperately tried to look for Gaara, or at least his sand, to know he was safe.

As she got closer and the debris in the air began to settle, she could identify that the bird was yet again flying over head, but not just around the Kazekage tower -it was roaming the entire city, and Sakura had a feeling that either he could not locate Gaara, or Suna had just become a battlefield. She hoped it was the former, for the sake of both Gaara and the village.

_'Is this what the attack on Suna looked like three years ago?' _Sakura couldn't help but wonder curiously.

And as she thought this she finally saw it, a glimpse of red hair, as she heard a swish of sand. "Gaara!" But there was no way he could hear her, far overhead on top of the mountains that loomed over Suna, his vast sand looking for, she was sure, Deidara.

Sakura's eyes narrowed, her Flower Eye activating. If Deidara was here, she was sure that Sasori was close behind, and as such, Gaara needed back up. And with that thought, Sakura pumped more chakra into her feet, dashing towards Gaara's location before it was too late.

_'Hurry up Kakashi-sensei.'_

* * *

Deidara grinned. He hadn't felt this exhilarated in so long; he could nearly laugh in excitement. Why was it that it was only ever a challenging fight when he was fighting against a monster? "Come on One-tail, show me what you're made of." he commented to himself, his clay already forming on the palms of his hands. He noticed with much amazement, that Gaara's sand was faster than his own bird, and was catching up relatively quick.

It was a showdown in the air -the best kind. This would no doubt be a dynamic explosion -a work of art like none ever seen before.

And where did Sasori-danna go anyway?

* * *

The sand was everywhere -it was nearly breathtaking, Sakura had to admit, seeing Gaara's sand chase after Deidara from up above. Gaara's sand made a move around her, acknowledging her existence, but Gaara did nothing, too focused on trying to capture the Akatsuki member in the air.

Sakura was left looking up at said Akatsuki member, her eyes deactivating for the moment, seeing as there was simply nothing she could do. How could she help at all? She couldn't fly. But she knew, if only she could get up there, perhaps she could make a difference in the battlefield. Before she could even think anything else though, suddenly she noticed something move, something that was most definitely not her and most definitely not Gaara or his sand, and before she had any time to register, Gaara's sand was making a wall before her, protecting her from hundreds of senbon that were hurled not just towards her, but towards Gaara as well. But of course -there Deidara was, way up ahead, but she had not seen Sasori at all. He must have been bidding his time to attack when Gaara was most vulnerable.

The wall of sand waited until the senbon barrage was over nearly two minutes later, before it dropped back onto the floor, revealing their second opponent.

"Sasori..." Sakura's eyes narrowed in confirmation.

He didn't speak, merely staring at Sakura for several seconds, a flash of recognition in his features. "You're the kunoichi. The Haruno Orochimaru captured, aren't you?" he merely stated, his scorpion tail aimlessly flailing before him as he examined her. True he had not actually seen her, but there was no doubt about it, based off of the description that Deidara had given him, plus his reconnaissance the day prior.

Sakura didn't respond, her mind racing. She didn't have an antidote prepared for this meeting -if either of them got hit once it'd be game over. "Gaara. Leave Sasori to me." She had no choice. Because she had a better chance at dodging and evading Sasori's moves, having already fought him, and Gaara had a village to take care of -she could do nothing to Deidara as he stood, but Gaara could, and there was no way Gaara could take on both Akatsuki members on his own. Last she knew, Deidara had defeated Gaara one on one, so there was no way she was going to let Gaara go two-on-one. Hopefully Kakashi or Sasuke or even Naruto would be able to find a way to help Gaara once they arrived, whenever the hell that would be.

"Move unless you insist on dying." Sasori's voice would have made Sakura tremble in fear three years ago, his impatience rolling off in waves. Because as interested as he was in the kunoichi, he didn't want to be here at all, and the sooner they could capture the One-tail, the better. Plus, he reasoned, it was all her fault he was here anyway. If it weren't for her, Orochimaru would still be in the organization and this would be his Jinchuuriki to capture, not his.

"Sakura" Gaara flashed her a look, a mixture of uncertainty and protective-ness all at once that it would have nearly been cute were they not standing before two deadly Akatsuki members.

"Just go. I'll be fine." Sakura stated. Already she could hear some more explosions in the background, Deidara no doubt detonating bombs around the village, trying to draw Gaara out -attempting to, at least, for every detonation was met with Gaara's own deadly force of sand.

Gaara stared at her for a few seconds, before nodding and disappearing in a flurry of sand. Yet, Sakura noticed that some sand remained, as well as a small sand-sculpted eye. _'He's keeping an eye on me.' _Sakura couldn't help but note. Her eyes landed back on Sasori, who made an irritated sound from the back of his throat.

"You must want to die, little girl."

"Bite me." Sakura glared, looking around to see how she could possibly get an advantage. She had to destroy his defensive shell first and foremost, but how to distract him long enough to do that? She didn't have Lady Chiyo with her to help her now...

But she did have her kekkei genkai, and she did have her contract with the Cherry Blossom trees, and that would have to suffice for now. And so, gripping on to her gloves tightly, Sakura allowed herself to charge, just as Sasori's scorpion tail went straight for her with deadly accuracy.

_'One hit and I'm done.' _Sakura reminded herself, quickly evading his tail but finding that it made a complete u-turn and continued its attack on Sakura before she could continue her attack. Sakura quickly allowed herself to jump away from Sasori, suddenly feeling an all too familiar chakra signature nearby, quickly approaching.

Sakura smirked, once more charging, gaining the attention of Sasori and his tail. Drawing out his tail to the point where it would not be able to quickly retract, Sakura allowed it to attempt to impale her. Yet, as it nearly made contact, Sakura quickly side-stepped and grabbed hold of said tail, Sasori quickly trying to pull back but finding that the kunoichi's strength was simply too much to over-power. But of course, because he had yet to come across Sakura and as such, had no clue about her incredible strength.

"Now!"

And before Sasori could even wonder why his opponent was shouting or even try to think of a way out of whatever trap she had devised, suddenly there was another shinobi before him, a man with grey hair and a single Sharingan eye, just as a Raikiri blasted through his defensive shell, and Sasori was left scrambling to evade the electric jutsu that would have no doubt torn right through his own puppet-structure if he hadn't dodged.

"Sorry I'm late, Sakura." Kakashi was quick to jump back until he was just a few feet away from Sakura, giving her a quick glance.

"Where are Naruto and Sasuke-kun?" Sakura ignored his prior statement, eyeing Kakashi cautiously to make sure he hadn't gotten hurt somehow, before her eyes once more landed on Sasori, his true form finally appearing.

"They're off attempting to aid Gaara."

"Ahh" Sakura's eyes landed on Sasori, his hooded figure a distance away from them, probably furious that he had been caught off guard so quickly into the fight. But of course, because Kakashi was one of the most skilled shinobi Sakura had ever come across (the exceptions being shinobi like Itachi or Kisame or Orochimaru), and he was extremely skilled when it came to stealth. "Are you confident you can dodge all of his abilities?" Sakura mumbled, seeing Sasori pull out a scroll, something she assumed would contain the Third Kazekage within it, if this fight would go anything like the one from her own timeline.

"All?" Kakashi inquired, looking at their opponent, their cloak now gone.

"All" Sakura confirmed.

"Well, I'm always up for the challenge." the typical Kakashi-esque smile was on his face.

Sakura tried not to roll her eyes at Kakashi's statement. "Leave this one to me, Kakashi-sensei. Back up until I need you." Sakura was clearly referring to the puppet that was now being summoned. Kakashi tried to argue, but she shook her head in defiance. "Kakashi, I've fought and defeated him before. Albeit, I had some help, but I am more skilled now than I was before. I don't want you taken by surprise. He is a slippery bastard."

Although hesitant to comply with her demands, Kakashi knew that she was stating this out of past experience, not because she was being cocky or anything (he left remarks like that to Naruto and Sasuke, after all). "Be careful Sakura." And then he jumped away a safe distance, close enough to aid Sakura if she needed it but far enough so that he wouldn't get caught in the crossfire between the two shinobi.

And then it was Sakura and the Third Kazekage, his iron sand slowly seeping out of his mouth, and Sasori standing a distance away.

* * *

Had the kunoichi seriously just told her aid to back off? The very same aid that had just destroyed his defense with a single blow? Was she that cocky? Did she take him that lightly?

Hmmpph. He'd just have to kill her quickly. Although curious about her skills, still skeptical about how she had managed to bypass his chakra blocking toxin during her interaction with Orochimaru, he didn't care to find out. Plus, he had things to do and was simply too impatient to try and assess her skills. Deciding he didn't want to waste energy and chakra, Sasori opted instead to begin with his trump card; his ace. He needed to conserve energy to defeat the One-tail anyway, for he had a feeling Deidara was just stalling in order for Sasori himself to strike at the Kazekage (Either that or Sasori just thought Deidara too incompetent -it could be a little bit of both, honestly). And although the technique itself was taxing, Sasori knew it would probably be the best way to go.

"Iron Sand: World Order"

* * *

Sakura's eyes widened as she heard the words -Sasori hadn't resulted to this technique until much later on in their battle the first time around. But even as he said these words and enough iron sand was being gathered for the jutsu, the Kazekage's own hands detached and multiplied into hundreds of hands, a technique that she had previously needed Lady Chiyo in order to evade completely. He was stalling for the completion of the jutsu, Sakura noticed, increasing his defenses while his puppet was left vulnerable, if only for the sake of preventing Sakura from destroying it like Kakashi had the previous one.

Sakura's eyes briskly turned golden as she stared on with deep concentration on her features.

No, she didn't need Lady Chiyo for this. She was far stronger now than she had been back then. And so, even if the hands ranged anywhere from one to two hundred, they were all sloppily targeting her, so dodging them was not as difficult as she expected or even remembered them to be. But then suddenly the hands began to move after they embedded themselves around Sakura who dodged them easily, an upgrade which Sasori had not had three years earlier, and Sakura desperately pulled out her kunai trying to cut them down, but even as she did this two latched on to her ankles, and a third's hand opened up to reveal a fume gas, something that she had definitely expected.

And so the area around her was suddenly filled with poison, Sakura taking one last deep breath before it was too late, and she was glad to see that Kakashi had taken the necessary precautions to stay away from the purple toxin in the air.

Sakura held her breath, frantically looking for a way out of the poison, cutting down the hands that held her tied to the spot, but just as she did this she suddenly saw movement above her, the Kazekage's World Order jutsu finally ready as it began to speedily dash in all sorts of directions, even going as far as attacking Kakashi. Luckily, he was close enough to Gaara's sand for it to protect him, but Sakura was not as lucky. After all, this was not Gaara's special sand and as such, greatly lacked the speed provided by Gaara's chakra.

Although, she thought with a quick smirk, her mind racing through all sorts of possible ways to possibly get her out of this mess, she could probably use the toxic fumes to her advantage.

She just had to pray she could last long enough.

* * *

"Sakura!" Kakashi shouted frantically, unable to see Sakura from within the confines of the toxin -despite the fact that he wanted to help her, he knew that he couldn't. If he stepped anywhere near it he'd be a goner, he knew. And then suddenly the Kazekage's sand was on him all too quickly, but Gaara's sand suddenly sprouted from seemingly nowhere, and their two sands clashed before him. His eyes widened as he saw the fighting sands clashing, but Gaara's sand ultimately defeating that of the Kazekage's -but of course Shukaku's own sand manipulation would be greater than that of the Kazekage's, who was manipulating his own chakra to copy that of the real deal's.

His eyes darted back to Sakura's own arena, the toxic fumes slowly dissipating in the air.

And then, when it finally cleared, easily over a minute later, he saw Sakura barely standing, two deep gashes on both of her arms as she desperately tried her best to remain standing -she had been struck, not just once, but twice. And suddenly she was on her knees falling to the floor and beginning to convulse slightly, an action that left Sasori smirking.

But of course it would -it served the kunoichi right, not just for thinking herself good enough to take him on one-on-one, but also for causing Orochimaru to abandon the organization and having Tobi promptly chasing after him. If it weren't for that damned kunoichi, he wouldn't even be here right now, after all. He'd be at the base relaxing and doing away with his new puppet creations.

"I'll finish this quickly." he muttered, his chakra strings ordering the Kazekage to charge at the fallen kunoichi with blades protruding from both of its arms.

Kakashi watched in near horror as he watched his own student fall to the ground, but upon trying to go to her and shield her, he noticed something stopping him from moving, a small root on the ground, and he watched with mild curiosity. But why wouldn't he look at it questioningly, when they were atop a mountain in a place where no plant or tree could possibly physically grow on their own... unless...

He turned his eyes back on the scene as the Kazekage was no more than two feet away from Sakura and moving quickly, before Sakura sprouted from the ground with such speed he was nearly taken aback, her fist colliding with the body of the Kazekage's puppet until it created a hole right through it's center, successfully breaking it into thousands of pieces.

And there Sasori stood, utterly speechless, as he watched his most prized puppet being smashed into smithereens right before his very eyes -by a puny kunoichi with pink hair no less. But how? He had scratched her, not just once, but twice with the Kazekage's poison-infused iron sand. There was no way she should be able to even move right now. And there was no possible way she had an antidote already -it had taken him months to create one, and he had made the poison!

Almost as if reading his thoughts, the kunoichi spoke. "You assume I was wounded by your iron sand." the smirk in her face made him bubble with anger, his eyes narrowing.

But of course -because he hadn't actually physically _seen_ her being injured by his jutsu, not being able to see past his toxic fumes; he had merely assumed she had, because what kind of godly taijutsu skills did she have to evade his World Order jutsu, on top of being trapped within the confines of his puppet arm arena and having to hold her breath? Had he really under-estimated the puny kunoichi so much? No, that wasn't even it. The probability of her dodging it all, despite being able to predict the movements, was nearly impossible. He didn't under-estimate her; she just displayed more skill than he could ever even consider giving someone credit. Even the most elite in Akatsuki lacked the skill she had performed.

"Those are self-inflicted." he merely stated, his eyes boring holes into Sakura's two injuries, two clean and precise cuts made to look exactly as if he himself had inflicted them with his World Order Jutsu, but now they were clearly identifiable as two simple slashes from a kunai.

Sakura didn't respond, her hands going to opposite arms as she began to heal her own injuries, '_made by her own kunai'_, the thought made Sasori angrier than before, while she was snugly protected from Sasori's poison in her cherry blossom tree, which had disappeared just moments before the toxic fumes dissipated in order to not alert Sasori about her trap.

Kakashi watched in out right astonishment as Sakura single-handedly, in seemingly under five minutes, did away with a Kazekage -the Kazekage that had been known as the strongest of all shinobi in Sunagakure thus far, destroying a renown S-Class criminal's deadliest weapon as if it were a breeze. Which it shouldn't be, even if Sakura had already faced off against him once before. Kami, Sakura was amazing... When had she grown so strong?

"I'm going to enjoy making a puppet out of you." Sakura didn't miss the irritable tone of Sasori's, or the way his fingers twitched with malicious anticipation, suddenly pulling out another scroll.

"And this is where I ask for your assistance, Kakashi-sensei." Sakura looked back at Kakashi, snapping him out of whatever daze he was in.

He didn't respond, merely watching as Sasori suddenly summoned what seemed to be over one hundred puppets. "I conquered an entire nation with these. Two shinobi shouldn't be too much of a hassle." But even as he said this he felt doubts, suddenly realizing that this kunoichi was much more resilient and witty than he had given her credit for. Perhaps Orochimaru had reason to want her so badly -hell, he found that he wanted her too. He'd need her to reconstruct his army anyway, seeing as she, along with the silver-haired shinobi, were quickly doing away with his one hundred man army and had already destroyed two of his most valued puppets.

But if he wanted to accomplish this, he'd have to use this distraction to strike her, for he was sure any other time and her eyes would be quick to save her from much of anything else.

And so he began charging, hurling more senbon at her as she was simultaneously dealing with a dozen or so more puppets, but he found that before any of the senbon could even make any contact, that there was suddenly a giant Sakura tree, it's branches flailing wildly and deflecting all of his senbon, Sakura not even batting an eyelash at his attempt, as if she had seen this coming, and as if his attempts were futile to begin with. And so he unleashed a hellish fire, quickly angered, as he burned down that Sakura tree, but as he began to quickly dash towards her, suddenly his blade collided with a barrage of sand that nearly overwhelmed him and had him jumping back before its sheer size and brute force could crush him.

"Tch" he glared. This was quickly becoming more and more irritating.

* * *

Sakura and Kakashi were panting heavily, sweating trickling down their foreheads and dropping by their feet. Defeating one hundred puppets was definitely a feat easier said than done Sakura and Kakashi decided, both near the brink of exhaustion. And there they stood, trying their best not to show how tired and exhausted they were before the unscathed red head with a seemingly bored expression on his smooth puppet features.

"Impressive." he merely muttered, commending the two shinobi for not having been scratched even once -of course, it didn't hurt that whenever one seemed to be under a pinch, either another Sakura tree would come to their aid, or the Kazekage's own sand would.

"Give it up Sasori." Kakashi stated.

But Sasori ignored Kakashi, his interest lying more so on the pink-haired kunoichi, the real star of the show in his eyes. "Why do you fight kunoichi? This is not your village. Your ties lie not within this Kazekage." he spoke curiously. Because, honestly, why was she going through such extensive efforts to protect a village not her own? She held no alliances to the Sand, and as such, it was quite stupid of her to risk her life for them. And even if it were her own village, he still found the notion a bit stupid. The only thing worth striving for was power and life -neither of which would she gain from fighting for her village.

"My ties lie with my comrades." Sakura rebutted. "Just because we are from different villages does not mean we cannot find ourselves friends."

"Friends weaken your resolution." Sasori sneered, disappointed with her answer.

"No." Sakura shook her head. "Friends are what drive my will to fight. Because I want to protect everyone I once failed to." And if only he knew that this was somewhat of a second chance at re-doing previous wrongs, he would understand that to Sakura, this was much more than just fighting to protect people she cared for -it was Sakura fighting to save everyone she had been unable to before, such as Gaara or Sasuke-kun, or Mikoto or Itachi. This was Sakura fighting for more than just the safety of her friends; this was Sakura fighting for the safety of all the Shinobi Nations; fighting for a brighter future.

"Tch. You'll find yourself dead in the future because of this idealism. You're a waste of talent, kunoichi."

Because Sasori had already come to the realization that this would be his final battle -the kunoichi had come out of seemingly nowhere and overwhelmed him. How had nobody heard of her talent beforehand? Why had she not been noticed prior to now? Why hadn't they found themselves in a confrontation with her beforehand? Surely Konoha hadn't just locked her up and hidden her talent up until now?

"Maybe. But it'll be worth it if I can save those I care for." And so Sakura and Kakashi suddenly charged simultaneously, a Raikiri already forming in Kakashi's palm as Sakura's chakra-infused fist was held back, ready to strike.

Sasori's mind raced. Even if he were to die today, during this fight, he would make sure to fight with all his might, perhaps taking out one of those pesky Leaf shinobi with him.

He wouldn't mind killing the pink fluff ball, he decided contemptuously.

* * *

"You'll have to try a lot harder than that." Deidara snickered, taunting Gaara as his sand continued to chase after him.

But seriously, where was his danna?

He supposed he got his answer minutes later when, from the distance, he could see a cloud of iron sand, proof that Sasori was currently fighting with his own opponent. And how had Sasori been forced to take such measures as using that jutsu? His opponent couldn't possibly be that strong.

Too lost in his train of thoughts, he didn't notice that Gaara's sand had suddenly appeared in front of him, but suddenly a figure appeared from within the sand, a black figure with spiky black hair, and he could already hear the thunder technique, and he had no choice but to jump off his clay bird swiftly before a chidori penetrated his chest.

As he began free falling from the sky, he turned back, his fingers already placed in the proper hand sign to detonate the clay bird he had just previously been on.

"Kai!"

The explosion hit, Sasuke still well in the danger zone, but Deidara had no time to look at the damage he had caused, for suddenly there was more sand running towards him, ready to swallow him whole. Deidara's eyes widened at the sheer size of the monster sand, quickly creating a clay block which he used to propel himself away from the sand by kicking off of it, suddenly finding himself among the rooftops of Suna. But even here he could catch no break as suddenly there was another shinobi before him, this one identifiable as a Leaf shinobi clad in an obnoxious orange attire (and why did this eerily remind him of something or someone he should know?).

"Rasengan!" he charged quickly, but Deidara could easily tell this was meant as a distraction as another figure appeared above him, the same dark-haired shinobi from the sky.

_'He's unscathed' _Deidara noticed, eyes wide, as he sent two tiny spiders towards both shinobi.

Instantly knowing these to be a threat, both shinobi retreated, allowing Deidara time to jump off the building, seconds later soaring back up towards the sky. And just for the hell of it, he detonated these, hoping they would somehow stall him long enough to locate his real target, the Kazekage. Luckily, with a little more flying and leaving the two unknown leaf shinobi far behind, he was finally able to identify the aforementioned Kazekage, quickly hurling his clay bombs at him, although he was quick to shield himself in a tight ball of sand around him.

_'His Ultimate Defense...' _Deidara examined his enemy. How to overcome such a thing?

Whatever. Deidara was always up for the challenge.

* * *

"Tch" Sasuke glared, quickly jumping away from the clay spider that had attempted to attach itself to him. Suddenly it exploded, but somehow, Gaara's sand was there to protect him from any incoming damage, as had been the case when Sasuke had attempted to hide himself in Gaara's sand for a sneak attack. Unfortunately, riding sand that he was not controlling proved much more difficult than he had imagined, and his and Naruto's attempts at trying to corner him had been relatively fruitless as well, no thanks to his air advantage.

As you would expect from an Akatsuki member.

"Naruto" he called out, trying to pinpoint the blonde through the debris and smoke in the air.

"Hai" he could hear but not see the blonde, but it was enough to let Sasuke know that his blonde friend was okay. By now, several shinobi had already come outside of their respective homes and buildings, wondering what it was that they were hearing outside as they gathered in groups on rooftops.

"Tch. We can't aid the fight like this." Sasuke glowered.

"Does it look like Gaara's got it?" Naruto debated, chewing on his bottom lip as he saw Gaara jump on his sand and soar high above the city, a place where nobody could reach them.

"You better pray he does, for everyone's sake." Sasuke glanced at Naruto, before he looked around. "We should find Temari and Kankuro." he merely stated. After all, it was better that they be located quickly before somehow people began suspecting that they were behind the attack on the Kazekage, even if it seemed a preposterous thought to them.

"I think I smell them this way." And so Naruto led the way, four minutes later finding themselves atop the partially destroyed Kazekage building, alongside Kankuro, Temari, Baki, and several other Suna shinobi.

"What's going on?" Temari was quick to squint up towards the sky, but could not make out the figure standing on the bird.

"Akatsuki." Sasuke merely mumbled, the tension around the building suddenly increasing three-fold.

"Where are Sakura and Kakashi-san?" Temari looked around.

"My guess would be over there." Kankuro was quick to point to the sudden explosion that seemed to have erupted out of nowhere just as Temari had asked her question.

Before Temari could ask any more questions, Naruto was quick to comment. "Akatsuki always travel in pairs." His eyes narrowed dangerously, his hands balling into fists. What if his Sakura-chan was in danger...? What if she was hurt? And what of Kakashi-sensei?

"Kakashi-sensei is with her, dobe. Don't worry." But even as he tried to assure Naruto this, his own gut told him that Sakura was never safe unless he and Naruto could personally guarantee it.

Suddenly there were yelps of excitement going on around the shinobi, and their eyes were back on Gaara, who seemingly had the Akatsuki member's left arm trapped within his soon-to-be sand coffin.

"Z-Zugoi..." Naruto muttered in astonishment, looking at the sheer size of Gaara's own sand attacks. Why couldn't he have some uber cool control over his Jinchuuriki like that? It wasn't fair; he could nearly "hmmph" in annoyance.

And then suddenly a big owl-like thing formed in the sky and began dropping, everyone's eyes widening in panic as they looked around. And then there was a giant explosion, a shock-wave that shook the entire village, it seemed, but as the bright light cleared, they could see nothing but sand over the village, protecting them from what would have most definitely been destruction and death for all of them.

"Kazekage-sama...!" Naruto and Sasuke could hear more yelps and chants of adoration towards their Jinchuuriki-now-kage, his breathing ragged and his eyes scrunched up in concentration and exhaustion. It was obvious now that wielding all that sand was extremely taxing on the body -but how would it not be, even with Shukaku's giant chakra reserves to help him out?

* * *

Deidara grinned.

He got him. All he needed was that small distraction, enough to leave his Ultimate Defense open for the slightest of seconds.

And suddenly another explosion detonated, this time a small bird right outside of Gaara's vision, but as the dust cleared he noticed that Gaara had had enough time to protect himself from this, even without all of his special chakra-infused sand.

But it didn't matter anyhow. The fight had been decided the moment Gaara had taken his arm -a much needed sacrifice, although it was a pity.

* * *

"Sakura..." Kakashi looked on in trepidation as, from their location atop the mountains, they could see Gaara's Ultimate Defense failing.

Sakura's eyed widened. "No..." but she didn't waste any time, knowing that if Deidara had defeated Gaara once, that there was no way he couldn't do it again. And so Kakashi and her quickly abandoned the battle field, a lone red-headed puppet lying on the floor, smashed to pieces and a heart-container lying stabbed in three different places a short distance away.

_'It's not too late to save him' _Sakura's eyes darkened. She could make a difference -she _would _make a difference. Without Gaara they could almost certainly kiss any chance at an alliance with Suna goodbye, and this they could not have. Gaara was an important friend, and a crucial piece of the puzzle to Akatsuki's eventual destruction, and as such, Sakura could simply not allow for Deidara to escape with a nearly dead Gaara. Sakura would rather die than let that happen.

Two minutes later she found herself among her team and several other Suna shinobi, watching as Gaara's seemingly last strengths were spent moving the sand from the village, an effort to not harm it or the people in it.

But even if it was awe-inspiring, Sakura knew that they had to do something, for Gaara would surely lose all strength any minute now and would be left in a free-fall, and they had to do something before Deidara captured him and left.

But what would they do?

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Throw me!"

Sakura stared at him, taking the time to process what he was saying. "Wha... Naruto, don't be-"

But he cut her off, one of the few rare times that Naruto became a father-like figure to her, his eyes showing wisdom far past his years as determination fueled his cerulean eyes. "Throw me Sakura-chan. You're the only one who can possibly manage to get us that high up."

And Naruto was right, so Sakura decided that trying something was better than trying nothing, and so she cleared some space as she suddenly picked up Naruto by the collar. "Are you sure about this Naruto?" she questioned him once more, looking from Naruto to Deidara, and then back at Naruto. She was practically feeding her baka to the piranhas -quite literally tossing them a second Jinchuuriki (although she desperately hoped he hadn't realized that already), and were it not their only option, she would have beat Naruto senseless just for mentioning it.

"It's now or never." he gave her one last confident nod. "I'll be fine Sakura-chan. I'll bring Gaara back, dattebayo."

Sakura gave a small nod, concentrating chakra into her fists and feet. She closed her eyes for a moment's concentration, until she began swinging Naruto around in a circle to build momentum, Sakura concentrating heavily on where it was that she needed to throw him.

And then she saw Gaara falling, and she knew that if she didn't do it now that they'd miss their chance, and with one last spin she suddenly thrusted Naruto upwards, a strong gust of wind, courtesy of Temari's strong fan, increasing the force and speed in which Naruto was suddenly hurled towards the falling Gaara.

Mid-air, suddenly what seemed like hundreds of Naruto's appeared, if only for the sake of making sure that Deidara didn't get the chance to obtain the Jinchuuriki, and suddenly Gaara's figure was lost well within the Naruto Shadow Clones as they pulled him deeper and deeper into the confines of his clones.

Cheers erupted from the crowd, but almost in seconds they were gone as Deidara summoned another clay structure, this one a much smaller and faster bird that collided straight into the Naruto Shadow clones and then quickly detonated. Puff by puff, all of the shadow clones disappeared until there were only two figures remaining, a heavily injured Naruto desperately gripping on to the shoulders of the Kazekage.

Sakura was on her feet faster than anyone, racing towards the two Jinchuuriki that would be landing all the way on the other side of the village.

Yet, this didn't even seem to deter Deidara, as suddenly he was free-falling from his own clay bird, knowing that if he could only reach the Kazekage, all he had to do was quickly grab him and flee, and no one would be able to stop him. Sakura's eyes widened frantically as it suddenly became a race towards the Jinchuuriki. Sasuke was alongside her in a split second, but it seemed that Deidara would be the first to reach the falling shinobi, clearly having been much closer than either of them.

Somehow, with whatever strength he had left, Gaara was able to allow the sand around them to soften the impact as they hit the ground, barely able to keep his eyes open. "Don't worry Gaara... I'll protect you, dattebayo..." the pained grin that Naruto offered him somehow made him feel at ease, even as Deidara suddenly landed before them.

"Say, you're the Nine-Tails aren't you? Leader-sama will be so pleased with me, yeah." Deidara grinned a not so nice grin.

Naruto attempted to stand up, albeit shakily, but suddenly the Akatsuki blonde-haired nin was upon him, a strong kick to the gut sending him flying until he hit a building, breaking it with ease and going through it. Yet, Naruto did not let this derail his attempts at protecting Gaara, and the next second his eyes were no longer blue but a red in color as he stepped out of the rubble, the Kyuubi for once allowing Naruto some control over his power.

_**'Don't act too recklessly with it, kid.' **_he could hear the Kyuubi's comment pulse within him, wondering why it was that the Kyuubi was barely now relenting and giving Naruto some form of control when he had been asking for it for years.

Deidara watched in trepidation, his only hand reaching towards his holster of clay, already working on some more clay structures.

Naruto was upon him in the blink of an eye but Deidara speedily jumped away. Yet, as Naruto extended his arm at what seemed to be an attempt at a scratch, red demonic chakra bubbled up and extended into a chakra-formed claw, and Deidara was making his own crater through a miscellaneous building, the impact of the blow temporarily knocking the air out of his lungs.

"N...Naruto..." he heard Gaara's attempt at gaining his attention.

And before he knew it there was suddenly an explosion at his feet, an explosion so big that even Gaara was caught in the explosion, and it was all Naruto could do to lay atop him, covering him from most of all the damage. But there was something different about this explosion, all sorts of shrapnel being thrown every which way, kunai embedding themselves in Naruto's body.

Although Naruto wouldn't admit it, if they didn't get back up, he couldn't guarantee Gaara's safety as they stood now. After all, it was hard enough trying to fight off an Akatsuki member -trying to fight him off while simultaneously protecting Gaara and being already heavily injured as well proved a challenge on another level. Not to mention that he couldn't exactly go full Jinchuuriki mode and unleash hell on the village, for he was sure, if they lived past today, Sakura would be the one to castrate him for ruining all chances at an alliance with Suna (after all, they probably wouldn't take fondly to a foreign Jinchuuriki being unleashed in their village and destroying half of it).

Once more, Naruto found himself being kicked harshly, a blow strong enough to have probably cracked a rib or two, as he was left rolling to a stop, blood pooling around his mouth as he tried to wipe it away.

"And Sasori-danna didn't even help me capture you, un." He could hear Deidara's cocky comment, almost as if he had already won the fight, approaching Naruto as he stepped through the rubble, gripping and lifting him up by the throat.

"Sasori is dead."

Suddenly there was a voice behind him, and he turned, looking to see a familiar dark-haired shinobi, and the pink kunoichi who Orochimaru had kidnapped a week ago. He could barely understand the words that the pink-haired kunoichi spoke, staring at her with an unreadable expression. No, there was no way his danna could be dead -definitely not by the hands of the pink hairball.

Using the distraction of the two new shinobi, the Kyuubi brat suddenly had a close range rasengan ready, but Deidara was too agile for this, quickly releasing his grip on Naruto's throat and ducking, missing the rasengan by mere inches as he hopped away hurriedly, assessing the moves he could possibly make (curse him for only having one arm to fight right now).

"If you know what's best for you, you'd leave while you still have the chance." It was Sasuke who spoke this time.

Deidara stared at the two shinobi before him, red and gold eyes watching his every breath, and he realized that perhaps the creepy Itachi look-alike was right. He was out-numbered, was completely out of clay, and he had lost his air advantage. Which really sucked, especially after seeing the Kazekage lying defeated on the ground a mere three meters from his own location, safely protected behind the two Leaf shinobi. And he had lost an arm for this. Tch, this hardly even seemed worth the effort (and somewhere in the back of his mind, he identified that this was perhaps why Sasori always seemed unwilling to get into fights; they truly were troublesome).

"Is he really dead, un?" Deidara looked at the kunoichi, seemingly uncaring although deeply troubled on the inside. Although he hated to admit it, Sasori was far superior in skills to him -so if the kunoichi had managed to take him on and win... (and survive afterwards, no less) Well, he dare not think what could have happened to him had he been in Sasori's shoes.

"I wouldn't have called him alive with the way he was living now." Sakura merely responded, not even batting an eyelash at her comment.

But Deidara knew this to mean that yes, Sasori-danna was dead, because there was no way Sasori would have revealed himself to be a living-puppet unless they had figured it out themselves, and if the pink-haired kunoichi was standing there before him, it meant that she, along with whatever help she had had (if she had any to begin with) had defeated Sasori, for Sasori never let an enemy escape him.

"You got lucky, Gaara no Subaku." he glanced at Gaara, who merely lay there un-moving, his eyes staring directly at Deidara's. "You won't be next time."

And then suddenly Deidara was gone with a small burst of air, his bird having picked him up and taken him away before anyone could even consider making a move.

There was nothing more he could do in Suna.

His mission was a failure.

* * *

Gaara awoke late at night to an all white room, hearing the small beeps of a heart monitor.

He felt... at ease...

Surprising, considering that he couldn't quite remember when he had passed out, only that he had seen the Akatsuki member with blonde hair flee before seeing Sakura's concerned face.

And then at the thought of Sakura, a sudden thought not his own appeared within him.

_**'She saved your life.'**_

Yes, he agreed with Shukaku, her and Uzumaki Naruto, and even Uchiha Sasuke and Hatake Kakashi. Shukaku had been right to prevent Gaara from attacking Konoha back in the Chunin Exams, he couldn't help but think.

"Gaara..."

His eyes turned to the right, where he could see Sakura rushing to his side, alongside Temari, Sasuke, and Kankuro. "We were so worried..." It was Temari who spoke this time, small tears threatening to spill from the corner of her eyes.

"...Ahh..." he didn't know what else to say, frankly -he had never been all too good at expressing emotions. "The village?" he questioned.

"Safe" Kankuro assured with a small smile. "Everyone is safe Gaara. No casualties."

Although he hid it well, Gaara was visibly left at ease at the words. "You were so cool, Gaara!" his eyes snapped towards the left, having not noticed Naruto lying on a hospital bed alongside him until he had spoken. "The villagers are lucky to have such a caring and strong Kazekage!"

His proclamation left Gaara with wide eyes for several seconds, taking in the words. "I'm glad..." Because frankly, he didn't know what else to say -he had also never been too good at accepting compliments.

"We'll let you two rest more Gaara. You're still recuperating. There are shinobi right outside the room if you need anything. I hope you don't mind, but I made myself your medic." Sakura stated, albeit a bit sheepishly. She hadn't dared let anyone handle her favorite knuckle-headed blonde, and not particularly trusting anyone else with the recuperation of either Jinchuuriki, she made herself their medic -it didn't hurt when Temari and Kankuro supported her fully, though.

Gaara gave a small smile, seeing Sakura's worried and caring face. Yes, she looked so much like the Sakura-neechan he had met when he was six, looking down at him with those very same eyes, that he couldn't help himself. "Hai" And he allowed himself to close his eyes, welcoming the sleep that he had been able to indulge himself with often ever since he had met Sakura at the Chunin Exams.

* * *

"What do you mean Sasori's dead?" Pein's eyes narrowed slightly.

"It was the Haruno, un. She killed him." And as proof, he pulled out Sasori's ring and placed it before Pein, atop his desk. "As you can tell, I took my fair share of damage."

But yes, Pein could clearly see that -he had no arm.

Pein closed his eyes momentarily, and with a wave of his hand, dismissed Deidara, who gave a curt nod and exited the room. "I'll see what I can do about getting you an arm." There was a minutes silence as Pein made sure that Deidara was definitely gone, and then from the shadows came Tobi, picking up the ring and tossing it high in the air, allowing it to drop back down on his hand after several seconds.

"And this is why I am wary of Harunos'." Tobi stated, examining the ring, seemingly bored.

"This was an unfortunate turn of events. We could not have foreseen that the Nine-tails would have also been there." Pein stated. "Our members were clearly at a disadvantage from where they stood."

"Perhaps not. But now we are definitely behind on our plans." Madara tried not to frown distastefully, not that Pein would be able to see it.

"We're down two members in the span of a week." Pein's eyes narrowed in trepidation. Although he could hardly care less about Orochimaru's betrayal, if he were being completely honest.

Madara did not respond, although mentally thinking '_All thanks to that kunoichi', _stuffing Sasori's ring in his pocket and disappearing.

* * *

It had been a whole day since the ordeal with Akatsuki. Tsunade had been informed the moment Gaara and Naruto had been stabilized at the hospital, thanks to Sakura, and every detail of the events that had occurred were described in full descriptive detail and sent off by Kakashi and Sasuke.

Luckily, it seemed that Tsunade would forgive them this time for engaging in battle against Akatsuki.

And now Team 7 found themselves yet again in a familiar meeting room, Elders in place as Gaara shakily got up to speak, with the assistance of Kankuro and Temari. Although Sakura had greatly protested against it, Gaara and Naruto had released themselves from the hospital, if only for the sake of attending the meeting that was meant to discuss the alliance between Suna and Konoha.

The Elders this time seemed less chatty than before, waiting with near impatience as Gaara began to talk.

"We are lucky with the way that the events played out yesterday." he began. "Haruno Sakura and Hatake Kakashi single-handedly took out the threat of Sasori of the Red Sand. We discovered his body just as they had described it, atop the mountains surrounding our village."

News that they all already knew, but Gaara was just restating in order to start from the top.

"They also put themselves at risk in fighting back a second Akatsuki member, and even rescued me from capture."

Again, more news that they already knew.

"Konoha," he addressed Team 7 this time, "you have all acted bravely and selflessly, and on behalf of Sunagakure, I accept the treaty that has been proposed to us." And then he looked back at the Elders, their spokesperson slowly getting up to express the deliberation of the Elders as Gaara was helped back onto his seat.

"We would be remiss to not show gratitude for the bravery that you all showed on the battlefield yesterday. We welcome an alliance with Konoha with open arms. We hope that all future proceedings run smoothly between our two nations."

And that had been that.

Mentally, Sakura couldn't help but think that perhaps the attack on Sunagakure by Akatsuki was all that they had needed in order to finally get Suna on their side and see that this wasn't some form of trap on Konoha's behalf. And now here they were, absolutely no casualties (although she did wish Naruto and Gaara hadn't taken such a beating), one Akatsuki member down, and another heavily injured.

All in all, it seemed like a very successful mission to Sand.

They remained within the confines of Suna for another two days, allowing time for Naruto and Gaara to take some RnR, before they were once more on their way to Konoha, where Sakura was sure that they'd be revered as heroes, all things considered.

But Kami, she couldn't wait to go home. She hated the sand.

* * *

"Did you hear that Sasori's been defeated?"

"Hn"

Kisame and Itachi were currently sitting at a small tea shop on the outskirts of Ame. "Did you hear that the Haruno defeated him?"

Itachi remained silent at the information.

"She's impressive." Kisame merely stated, as if trying to make a point. _She was good -just like the Sakura that they knew._

"Most Konoha-nin are." he merely stated.

Kisame could have rolled his eyes at the semi-cocky response of Itachi's. "Whatever."

But even as he dismissed Kisame's comment and pretended not to care, he knew he had been surprised at Sakura's actions.

His crow had never left her side, after all.

**End of Chapter**

**A smidge shorter than what I have been writing so far, but that's just because I don't want to break up the part that follows too much ^.^ I promise I'll make up for it.**

**I know you guys must be wondering when there'll be some more ItaxSaku interactions, which I'm thinking will be within the next 2-3 chapters ^.~ please be patient with me :3**

**Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Critiques? Pointers? Leave 'em all here!**

**Any and all feedback is much appreciated! And remember, the more reviews, the more likely I am to update faster ^_^**

**-MarzSpy**


	8. Kirigakure

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form**

**Chapter 8: Kirigakure**

"There they are!"

"They've finally arrived!"

"Make way for Tsunade-sama!"

Sakura blinked curiously, having nearly been bombarded by shinobi as soon as she, along with the rest of Team 7, approached the gates of Konoha. Some almost felt... surreal.

"Wow, we're getting approached by Tsunade-baa... that's how you know we're cool, ne Sakura-chan?" Naruto stated, poking Sakura's rib with his elbow, a gleeful grin on his features as he tried to get Sakura's attention.

"I wouldn't really say cool, Naruto." Sakura stated with a raised eyebrow.

Naruto scoffed. "We just united our nation with that of Suna's _and _we saved the Kazekage and defeated an Akatsuki member. I'd say we're pretty cool, dattebayo." Naruto stated, pleased with himself and all of his accomplishments.

Sasuke, from alongside Sakura, couldn't help but glance at his blonde friend. "First off, I'd like the record to hold that you did absolutely nothing when it came to fortifying our alliances with Suna, dobe." he scoffed, rolling his eyes all the while. "Second off, Sakura and Kakashi defeated an Akatsuki member. You did absolutely nothing, other than break Gaara's fall after he was defeated by Deidara." Upon Naruto's angry growl, Sasuke smirked in satisfaction.

"And even then, I must say that Sakura did all the work, not just in defeating Sasori, but she also took charge of healing Gaara and actually impacting the alliance. I doubt Gaara would have accepted if not for everything Sakura has done." Kakashi's implication of Sakura travelling to the past was clear.

"I wouldn't have been able to do anything without you guys." Sakura easily ignored them, not wanting to take all the credit although, logically going over all the facts, she could not argue with what Kakashi was saying.

Before anyone else could say more though, they had already entered the village, Tsunade standing before them expectantly with a smirk on her face, her hands crossed underneath her chest.

"Welcome back."

It was but one phrase, but just that was enough to rile up the small crowd that had formed at the gates as they began clapping and hollering in excitement.

"Arigatou, Tsunade-shishou" It was Sakura who spoke as she, alongside Kakashi and Sasuke (Naruto never bothered to address Tsunade formally, and he wasn't about to start now) gave a small bow.

But Tsunade put her hand up, as if stopping them from their movements, as she parted her lips to speak once more. "Today, we bow to you four."

Sakura blushed in embarrassment, as did Sasuke and Naruto, but one never could tell whether Kakashi was embarrassed by the sudden attention, more hollering in the background. "Tsunade-shishou, we only did what would aid our Nation to a brighter future. We do not deserve praise for that." Sakura responded.

Tsunade sighed, rolling her eyes slightly. "Just take the damn praise, Sakura." It was then that she approached Team 7, putting one arm around Sakura and the other around Naruto. "Let's go get some sake! Tonight we celebrate!"

Sakura sighed, finding that, no sooner, she was already being dragged across Konoha, the shinobi and villagers around them already carving a path for them to walk.

Her mentor never did change her ways, alas.

* * *

Ironically enough, Tsunade had ended up dragging Sakura, along with Team 7, back to the Haruno Compound, where she found all of her close family and friends already gathered, food and beverages placed in a wonderful buffet, no thanks Mikoto, Sakura could only assume.

"Forehead Girl! I'm so glad you're okay." Nearly as soon as Sakura had entered her home, Ino had pounced on her, embracing the pink haired kunoichi and showering her with love and affection that she normally would never be seen showing in public.

"I'm offended you thought I wouldn't be able to handle it." Sakura joked, returning the hug from her blonde friend.

"I wasn't worried at all." It was suddenly Himawari who spoke up, feigning a calm demeanor as she approached the two kunoichi and stood beside them.

"That's because we didn't know that Akatsuki were there until they were already defeated." Hiroto rolled his eyes at Himawari's antics, from across the room.

"Alright, alright, come on, let's let Team 7 through." Tsunade tried to cut off the chit-chat before it got too loud. "Mikoto did us the favor of cooking all this food, and it'd be a shame to let it go cold." It was Tsunade's statement that snapped everyone out of their own conversations and thoughts, as all members of Rookie 9 plus Team Gai, the Uchiha Clan, and the Haruno Clan began to gather at the dining room, Mikoto having obtained large fold up tables to accommodate the number of people. On one end of the table sat Tsunade, and on the other end of the table, Mikoto, as everyone began shuffling towards the table and began taking their seats.

It was then that Tsunade spoke up, a glass raised on one hand. "There is much that needs to be done within the next few weeks to adapt to the new alliance we have formed, as well as to expand our influence to not just Suna, but Kiri and Kumo as well. But, for the meantime, we shall celebrate for a job well done. We are glad you all returned to us safely."

Tsunade's speech was short and straight to the point, but it got the point across. This was a big feat, finally having Suna on their good graces, and despite the fact that there was still much work that needed to be done, this called for a small celebration of sorts.

Everybody raised their glass in cheers, and no sooner were people like Naruto, Chouji, Kiba, and Hiroto eating everything in sight.

Kami, Sakura loved her friends.

* * *

It had been a day since Team 7's arrival to Konoha. After having eaten and celebrated, a good portion of the Rookie 9 becoming completely inebriated in the process, they had called it a night, Tsunade stating that they would pick back up on the next steps bright and early the next day –a shocking statement, for they all knew Tsunade was definitely not a morning person and tried to avoid morning engagements.

And so, here Sakura stood in front of Tsunade, alongside the members of Team 7, as well as Daichi, Shikamaru, Shino, and Neji.

Sakura couldn't help but notice right off the bat that Tsunade had assembled the tactical divisions team (although she had no clue as to why Neji was there), and wondered if this had anything to do with Suna at all. The alliance with Suna was concrete; so why would they need to devise plans? Warning bells rang in Sakura's head.

"As you guys, minus Naruto, can probably guess," Tsunade began, "this is not about Suna."

"Ehh?" Most of everyone in the room refrained from rolling their eyes at Naruto's questioning gaze all around.

"This is about Kiri."

And then there was tension.

But why wouldn't there be? This was the very same nation that had killed her clan.

"I've been speaking to Mei, the Mizukage, and she seems to heavily agree that we must go through great extents in order to disband Akatsuki and protect our Jinchuuriki from capture."

Sakura nodded briefly, remembering the talk that she, Sasuke, and Shisui had had about the new Mizukage.

"I know this may be tough for you," Tsunade's statement was directed towards Sakura and Daichi, "but I'm sure both of you know how crucial it is to set up an alliance while we still can."

"Hai" It was Daichi and Sakura who both spoke in unison. Regardless of the bad blood between the two, this was not something that Sakura, or any other Haruno for that matter, would even dare intervene in. Simply put, there was no use lingering on a subject that could no longer change –the lives of their kinsmen could no longer be brought back, but many lives could possibly be saved with this future alliance, after all.

"Mei had proposed a formal meeting –a sort of testing the waters, if you will, to see how both our nations react to the exchange. Neji here is the one I've been sending back and forth with our letter exchange during these past months." Tsunade explained, Neji giving a brief nod in confirmation.

Ahh, so that explained Neji's presence.

"And I'm likely to agree that a formal exchange should be made in order to reach out to Kirigakure." Tsunade concluded, her hands resting atop her desk as she surveyed the reactions of Team 7, in particular Sakura; because like it or not, Sakura was now a big piece of the puzzle. Regardless of whether or not she now had the Haruno Clan back under Konoha soil, there was only one person they held ties to, and that was Sakura. So long as Sakura was in agreement, as were they, and as such, these were delicate grounds to tread. But it didn't hurt that Tsunade had also become a form of mother figure for the pink-haired kunoichi, she decided.

"And the Elders are in agreement with this?" Sakura raised a delicate eyebrow in question.

"Well..." Tsunade flinched slightly.

"They have been far less than supportive on the matter." It was Neji who spoke this time, Sakura's eyes shifting towards him. "He had shinobi try to intercept and detain me on several occasions."

Eyes narrowed at the comment.

"They believe it best to leave Kiri at arm's length; simply put, they are unreliable and cannot be trusted. But I have written to Mei extensively and I truly believe her heart is in the right place; her intentions are pure, in other words. Plus, Neji here can attest to her hospitality." Tsunade explained.

"True to Tsunade's words, Mei has been nothing but polite and respectful upon our meetings. Her shinobi on the other hand, still seem to have lingering doubt and resentment towards Konoha."

Ahh, so that's where things got tricky. Although she was willing to compromise, if her village was not, then the plan was a failure before it even began. "So what are you proposing, Tsunade-sama?" It was Kakashi who spoke this time, interested to know where Tsunade wanted to take things.

"Well, logically speaking, we need to at least attempt to make something happen with Kirigakure. But, I am not at all inclined to sending myself along with my shinobi into hostile territory." Tsunade began. "As such, I proposed that her, as well as a group of her most trustworthy and loyal shinobi, accompany her here, where she is free to stay for a week to try and build up trust."

"It's not a bad plan, but we have fear that there may be a resistance forming that may want to attack as we open Konoha Gates. It leaves us vulnerable for an inside attack." Shikamaru spoke up suddenly. "Not to mention that although Konoha grounds are not as hostile as Kiri grounds, there must surely still be grudges, and in addition to that, we will indirectly be putting civilian lives at risk by bringing them here. But, the pros in this plan are that it is less likely that we will be out-numbered here in Konoha in case confrontation does occur."

"But, logically speaking, if Mei only brings her most loyal shinobi, resistance wouldn't exactly be such a great risk, would it? If we're following the premise that Mei is indeed set on fortifying bonds with Konoha, that is." Kakashi surmised.

"Yes, logically following that premise," Daichi agreed with a slight nod, "but we shouldn't necessarily be completely dependent on it –if we don't prepare for the worst, we may end up with a mess in our hands and have nothing prepared to retaliate with." Daichi explained.

"I'd like to see them try to defeat me. I'll kick their Mizukage's ass." Naruto's remark eased up the tensions in the room slightly, of which Sakura was glad for. There was a pause, some visibly easing their nerves at Naruto's comment, although most rolled their eyes at it.

"Do you honestly believe this to be the best course of action?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow, knowing that by agreeing to this, he could possibly be agreeing to putting his Okaa-san and his younger sister in danger –a thought that didn't bode well for him either, if he were honest.

"Considering that there is much to do still in regards to Suna, and as such, I shouldn't just take a week's leave, yes." Tsunade explained.

"We must also take into consideration the possible scenario that while we are away with our strongest shinobi, that there may also be an assault on Konoha." It was Shino's almost inaudible speaking that left everyone in thought.

"Well," Sakura broke the silence after a good minute, "that being said, we most definitely shouldn't leave the village defenseless. Due to Kirigakure not actually having possession of their Jinchuuriki, it is also not likely that Akatsuki would attack them. Us, on the other hand..." Sakura's sentence trailed off, her eyes falling on Naruto. "He's a bit of a careless dunce." They all ignored Naruto's protests.

Shikamaru nodded. "That is also a good point. Although I highly doubt that they may be collaborating with Akatsuki, we must also think that if and when Akatsuki catches a whiff of our plans, which they are bound to do soon, they may want to use this distraction to attack. Their members are currently crippled due to the loss of Sasori and the crippling injury of Deidara's, but they have a lot more members at their disposal, all of which just as capable and fearsome as the next."

Then there was more silence.

"...So I take it this means we're all in agreement that Mei should come here?" Nobody spoke as the remnants in the room looked around, looking for someone to speak up and oppose the plan. Seeing none, Tsunade continued to speak. "Needless to say, I will rely on all of you heavily in the following weeks. Shino, Shikamaru, Daichi, I want all of you to start devising up counter attack plans as a form of emergency, if all else fails." Tsunade began.

"Hai." They all nodded and spoke in unison.

"Neji, for the mean time, I am assigning you, TenTen, and Lee to be their personal bodyguards. You will serve as our spokesperson for the duration of their stay."

Neji bowed as he spoke. "I will inform TenTen and Lee right away."

Tsunade nodded. "Good. Kakashi, I am assigning you, Sasuke, Hinata, Kiba, and Sai to meet them halfway and escort them into the village."

"I suppose it goes without question that we stay on the look-out and attack if we feel threatened, correct?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes." Tsunade affirmed, her eyes falling on Sakura and Naruto. "I'm sure you understand why I'm keeping you away from them for the time being, Sakura. Naruto, I simply don't trust you to not screw something up."

Although Naruto wanted to protest, he was at least glad to find that he wasn't the only one that would be sitting around on his ass doing nothing. "I understand, Tsunade-shishou." Sakura nodded.

"Very well, I will send Mei a letter with our plans. You're all dismissed."

* * *

The week-long preparations for the Mizukage and her shinobi went by in a blink of an eye, or so it seemed to Sakura. The quarters in which they would be staying had all been set up, a place near the outskirts of the village, not too close to the gates but also not in the center of the bustle in Konoha. A close enough distance to the Hokage tower and anything else they may need, but not close enough where they could slip in an attack before anyone could even realize or leave before they could be stopped. It was perfect.

Maybe they were being paranoid and overly-cautious, but it was better to be overly-prepared than the opposite, though.

Sakura would be lying if she said tensions weren't high in Konoha. Especially within her own clan. Sayuri had been less than pleased with the way things had turned out, but bit her tongue regardless –she had always taken an aggressive approach to threats anyway, and now would be no different. Although Daichi pretended to be okay with it, Sakura knew better, and even Marika and Himawari had taken a less that pleased stance upon hearing the news from Sakura. Nevertheless, their Hokage had spoken, and above all else, so had their heir. As displeased as they were, deep down inside they knew this to be the best -to be essential, really.

Truth be told, as brave and as accepting as Sakura pretended to be, this deeply troubled her too, but she had no choice but to swallow her pride and pretend to not be affected at all -if she acted upon her weakness it would certainly rile up her clan, or more specifically the younger ones, such as Daichi, Himawari, and above all else Sayuri, and this she could most definitely not have. The fault in her strength would lead to insecurity within her own clan, and this she could definitely not have for the week that would follow them.

All they could do was sit back and watch as things unfolded. After all, this would be the best for Konoha, and as such, the best for the Haruno Clan.

Sakura just hoped that everything went smoothly.

* * *

"Mei, it is so good to finally meet you."

Sakura was standing amongst the line of shinobi, perfectly lined up and carving a direct path for the Mizukage and her entourage as they entered the village, Tsunade standing with much pride and respect at the very entrance of the Konoha Gates, much like she had done when Team 7 had returned from their mission in Sunagakure.

"Tsunade," Mei greeted with as much regard and respect as Tsunade had, "I am also glad we can finally meet face to face."

Across from Sakura, she could clearly see Sayuri and her displeased expression, her hands gripped firmly by her sides in what could be seen as constraint. Although worried, Sakura saw Himawari alongside her, putting a gentle and cautious hand on Sayuri's own fist, a few conspicuous words tumbling from her mouth, not that Sakura could hear or interpret what she said.

By the looks of it, it was enough to seize Sayuri's antics, a more composed and professional expression on her features, Sakura mentally thanking the God's for Himawari'a tactful understanding and composure.

Although rightly so upset, it was not a very smart move to actively show any form of malicious intent or anger towards the Mizukage and her followers, especially not so immediately after their arrival, for she was sure someone was bound to catch it, and it would be a hassle having to clear up the discomfort and tension that would soon arise because of it, no doubt.

And although it was hard for Sakura as well, she stood rigidly stiff and respectful as they walked by, Tsunade and Mei at the front, Mei's shinobi right behind them, and in the rear, Kakashi, Sasuke, Hinata, Kiba, and Sai.

Sakura watched almost curiously as they passed by, a particularly young and oddly dressed shinobi directing his stare directly at her. With a calm demeanor he seemed to examine her physique, her bubble gum pink her and her emerald green eyes, and in particular the noticeable Haruno Clan insignia proudly worn on both sleeves of her shirt.

Their eyes seemed to connect for several seconds, almost as if neither dared to look away, until he passed by her, his attention suddenly elsewhere.

'_The atmosphere around him seems... thick...' _she watched the back of said Kiri-nin as his figure retreated, his blue kimono having an emblem of bubbles near his back.

Why did she feel like she should know who he was...?

"Sakura."

Sakura's eyes snapped to her left, where Sasuke was standing before her expectantly, alongside Kakashi and Sai. "Sasuke-kun." She greeted him with a small, distracted smile.

"Mei asked for your presence at her office, alongside the remaining Harunos'..." Sasuke seemed slightly suspicious of this, his eyebrows furled in dislike.

"My presence specifically, or...?" Sakura's eyebrows raised in suspicion, more so wondering if they for some reason knew her to be the Haruno Clan heir.

"Just simply put, the Haruno Clan." It was Kakashi who spoke this time. "Don't be too wary. There doesn't seem to be an ulterior motive to her actions other than being courteous."

"One could only hope..." Sakura muttered under her breath, but said nothing more, as Sasuke and co. proceeded to follow behind the Mizukage.

* * *

"Ahh, here they are."

Sakura watched in near curiosity as all eyes suddenly turned towards her and the rest of her family, each of them having filed in the Hokage's office together after the crowd had cleared, and the Mizukage had safely made it to the Hokage tower.

They came in and stood before the Mizukage and just a few members of her entourage, Sakura noticed. Perhaps some of them were elsewhere...?

"What can we do for you, Mizukage-sama?" It was Hiroto who spoke, taking on the leadership role for the time being. After all, despite the fact that they were seeking out an alliance with Kiri, they were still not sure of any ulterior motives, and as such, secret information such as the true identity of the Haruno Clan Heir would be kept hidden. Due to Hiroto being the oldest of the Haruno bunch, it was only right for him to step up and assume this leadership role, as he had done prior to their return to Konoha.

And although they acted as polite as can be, with much respect and caution, they were completely taken aback by Mei's next action.

"On behalf of all of Kirigakure, I humbly ask for you to forgive us for all of the pain and suffering we have caused you over the years. If there is anything I can do to repay you, anything at all, please do not hesitate. It is the least we can do, as a nation." Mei was now bowing before all of the Haruno Clan, a few of her shinobi doing the same while a certain dark-haired, kimono-wearing man stood by the corner, watching on in what seemed to be mild curiosity.

The Harunos' stared on with blank, confused expressions on their faces.

Luckily, Hiroto had enough sense in him to speak up and respond. "I truly hope to not sound rude, Mizukage-sama," Hiroto began, waiting patiently for Mei to stand up straight, "but now is not the time to linger on the past. We should be looking on to a brighter future."

Yet, Mei did not seem pleased with his answer, shaking her head slightly. "We are far beyond formalities such as these, Haruno-san. I understand you are trying to remain politically objective, but this goes far beyond that." she began. "It is true that we look on to a brighter future, one in which we may find ourselves as allies. Yet, this cannot be achieved if either party still hold some form of resentment towards the other. Despite the fact that you may say otherwise, this conflict has never been resolved, and as such, it is hard to believe for it to be in the past, for either yourselves or my nation. Kirigakure never truly gave a heartfelt apology on the matter, and it'd be remiss of me to not acknowledge that. I am simply making up for the lack of respect shown to you by my predecessor"

Sakura blinked, understanding Mei's thought process and also slightly appreciating the fact that she was going so far out of her way to apologize to them directly. "As you said, Mizukage-sama, we are far past formalities at this point in time now. Although there has been bad blood, we can both identify with the fact that this alliance is absolutely necessary; as such, we have no right to hold any more resentment for something that simply cannot be changed. History cannot be rewritten, alas. But, the fact that you are apologizing for an act not your own means a great deal."

"The sins of my nation fall on my hands." Mei reaffirmed with a small smile. "I'm sure you all understand this."

"Let us leave it at that for now, then." Hiroto offered a small smile in return. "Although honestly, it may be hard to look past everything that has happened now, I am sure that within the span of this week we will come to know a new side of Kiri, one in which we can trust."

"I know you will, and I hope you will respond most favorably to all the change Kiri has undergone."

Sakura noted that she had to give Hiroto credit -he did the political crap well enough, she had to admit. He'd definitely pass as a believable heir, at least, even if it was known that the heir was supposed to be a girl. Yet, although the interaction between Mei and Hiroto pleased her, in the back of her mind she couldn't help but let her gaze wander back onto the dark haired male with the blue kimono, still looking on from the sidelines, primarily because of the fact that it seemed that he had not taken his eyes off of Sakura since the moment that the Haruno Clan had shuffled into the Hokage's office.

And Sakura was blatantly staring back, if not a little curious, but also with a bit of a scrutinizing gaze -because come on, this man couldn't possibly be any creepier at this point!

Mei seemed to notice this, and stared from Sakura to the unknown Kiri-nin. "Oh, I'm sorry if he's being weird, Haruno-san!" she proclaimed rather loudly, turning around to shoot her nin a quick glare. "Do stop that, you'll come off as creepy."

_'Too late.' _Sakura sneered mentally.

The Kiri-nin seemed to smile (mind you, a fake one, Sakura could easily tell from a mile away -he'd have to try much harder to make that believable, for she had learned as much, no thanks to Sai), and Mei merely rolled her eyes and turned back to address Sakura.

"I truly apologize. His arrival here was a bit out of the blue, and I didn't have time to properly teach him on how to interact with people." Mei laughed hesitantly.

Before Sakura could even think about a proper response, Tsunade let out a laugh. "Oh, not to worry Mei, our own Jinchuuriki can be a bit of an oddball, I assure you."

"Yes, if by oddball she means a pain in the ass." Hiroto offered with a slight chuckle.

"Well it'll be my pleasure being introduced to such an eccentric shinobi." Mei mused with a smirk.

"I insist you not be afraid to kick his ass if he steps out of line -he's very resilient, so he'll be okay with more than a few beatings." Tsunade stated, an act that received many laughs from the occupants in the room.

And yet again, Sakura was left staring from the Mizukage back on to the dark-haired Kiri-nin, now identifiable as the Six-Tailed Beast. He stared back at her, seemingly curious to see how she would take the news, but if she was affected by the revelation she definitely didn't show it.

"Anyway, let's move on to your sleeping quarters. I'm sure you're all tired after such a long trip." Tsunade changed the topic quickly, not that Sakura paid all that much attention to it. As of now, she was merely a bystander -a Haruno with little significance. The one that needed to pay attention to this was Hiroto, and she was glad for it, taking more interest in the appearance of the Jinchuuriki.

_'I wonder if he also knows that I traveled to the past...' _The thought, although seemingly random, would help to explain the fact that the man hadn't taken his eyes off of her since their first encounter. She at least wanted to believe that this was the reason, or else she'd just be completely creeped out and unsure of what to make of things.

"I sincerely nominate the Haruno household for a feast tonight, a sign of Konoha's hospitality and the open mind that we Harunos' are keeping for the future." Hiroto's comment snapped Sakura out of her inner thoughts (Did Hiroto seriously just volunteer her own home, Mikoto's own home, to a feast?).

"If it wouldn't be too much of a burden, we humbly and most graciously accept your invitation, Haruno-san."

"The pleasure is all mine, Mizukage-sama. And please, you may call me Hiroto. Such formality is not fitting for a kage such as yourself."

If Sakura didn't know any better, she could almost _swear _Hiroto was being overly-friendly.

"Hiroto-nii, stop flirting with the Mizukage already!" Luckily, Himawari was right there beside him in order to pummel some sense into him, quite literally.

From the sidelines, Mei seemed to laugh. "My, aren't you the charmer..." she mused to herself, watching on at the interactions between what she presumed to be brother and sister.

"Yes, I second that notion. Please, Mei, ignore my shinobi's poor attempts at wooing you. Please, come this way. I will personally escort you all to your sleeping quarters. Hiroto, you guys are excused for now, we'll see you for dinner tonight."

And no sooner was Tsunade ushering everyone out of her office (Kami it was too crowded), shooting Hiroto a look that said "I'll kill you when I get the chance", the Six-Tailed Beast casually walking out with a carelessly relaxed expression on his face.

And then the Haruno Clan was left there in silence, Hiroto rubbing the sore spot on the top of his head, and the remaining Harunos' standing there silently in thought.

"Sakura-chan... that nin doesn't rub me the right way..." Himawari frowned as she turned to look at Sakura, referring to their Jinchuuriki, clearly.

"I think he just has the hots for our Sakura-hime." Hiroto dismissed Himawari's concern with a sly grin.

But something told Sakura it was a little more than that. Himawari always did have good intuition, after all.

* * *

Dinner had been rather uneventful. Although Mei's entire entourage had been invited, only four people showed up: Mei, two of her closest shinobi, and her Jinchuuriki. The rest of her Kiri-nin had decided to stay back and rest, and above all else, hit the hot springs on the other side of town (Sakura swore she was surprised Kakashi and Naruto even made it to dinner). Other than that, Tsunade had found herself present, alongside the remaining Harunos', the Uchiha, Naruto, and Kakashi.

After the table was cleared and Mikoto off to prepare a small dessert of sorts, everyone had sort of been left to do their own thing, primarily getting to know each other and what life was like for them respectively. Although happily enjoying the easy-going conversations, Sakura couldn't help but realize that Utakata, as she had learned his name to be at the start of dinner, had run off somewhere and disappeared nearly as soon as dinner had ended. Although still curious and mildly wary of him, Sakura deemed him no more of a threat than a bunny. Although staring at her from time to time during the duration of dinner, he seemed to bare no ill-will towards her or any of her clansmen, and as such, she didn't find the need to be on such high alerts.

Still, it would be nice to know where in the hell he had run off to, Sakura decided. So Sakura promptly excused herself from the dinner table, and allowed herself to wander her own house in search of the Six-Tailed Jinchuuriki.

It was an easy enough feat finding him, in a room that opened up on the other side to reveal the beautiful scenery that was the Haruno Compound, sitting down on the outside floorboards of the old-fashioned home. Although curiously wondering why he had decided to be here of all places, Sakura dare not make a move, let alone a sound, from her place outside of the room.

Yet, it seemed that he was alerted of her presence almost immediately. He didn't turn to acknowledge her presence, but he spoke on anyway. "I do apologize for sneaking out of the dining room and entering this room without permission. I simply do not care for formalities all too much, I do hope you understand." his speech was neither too formal nor informal, a perfect balance to not only give Sakura some respect, but also to show some form of friendly air between the two.

"It is fine. You are all guests. I apologize for not having the atmosphere of our dinner table to your liking." Sakura shook her head slightly, slowly approaching the man until she was standing just a few feet behind him.

"There is nothing any of you did wrong. The feast was absolutely delightful, I assure you." he smiled and turned slightly. "Do not mind me, please take a seat." he seemed to cut himself off, noticing Sakura's slight hesitancy on what to do next. And although wary, Sakura gave a small nod and did just that, careful to sit with a good amount of distance between the two -not enough to make him seem like someone she didn't trust, but enough to respectfully show some space. "Anyway, like I said, I am just not too experienced with these kinds of formalities, so I tend to shy away from them." he explained once more.

"I do hope this doesn't sound rude, but if you don't mind me asking, why did you come here in the first place, then?" she looked at him, slightly intrigued. "If you don't care for formalities, that is... This is essentially the entire point of this trip." she clarified after little thought, a counter-measure to make sure what she said didn't sound rude -it was not her intent, after all.

Utakata gave her a fake smile yet again, one Sakura was easily becoming accustomed to, before he turned to look at the scenery before him as he spoke. "I became a missing-nin of Kirigakure long ago because I was not in agreement with the way that things were run. Under Yagura, Mei's predecessor, Kirigakure had become a place unfit for peace, happiness, and prosperity. I did not want to live with that sort of name behind my head-band; it would mean that I supported such a nation."

Sakura nodded slightly, understanding Utakata's thought process, and allowed him to continue.

"Yet... under Mei..." he paused slightly, as if pondering the next words. He turned to look at her then, a similar smile as the ones he had shown her all day long, but with actual feeling behind them, Sakura could identify. "...I can see this changing." It was but a simple sentence, but it seemed to hold much hope and faith. "Although the previous actions of Kirigakure can never be changed, we can possibly look forward to a better future, one which I can support. As such, I felt that I simply could not refuse coming here. Many of the shinobi back in Kirigakure have their reservations about this alliance, but I am hoping that my mere presence here may be enough to ease the qualms of my people and restore some of their faith in Mei. Just because it is a tough and difficult decision does not make it any less the right one, after all."

Sakura sat in silence for a short while as she processed this information. "That is a very selfless thing to do for a nation you refuse to accept as your own." Sakura stated, her eyes lingering on his figure, noticing that he didn't even bother to wear a headband with the typical slash on it, portraying his defection from his nation. He had disowned them completely, if the lack of headband was an indication of anything, and still, here he was.

"No matter how through you may think yourself to be, your nation will always be your place of origin; the place where you experienced your greatest achievements and worst failures. It was there through your highest of moments, as well as your lowest. I think that if you can successfully turn your back on it without so much as a second glance, that you have lost your place in this world. Without your place of origin you have lost your identity and your sense of self."

Sakura supposed that maybe this is how Naruto had seen it too. With the way the village had treated him, he could have just as easily turned his back on it, walked away, and never looked back -Sakura never would have blamed him for it. But this had been the only home Naruto had ever known, and it was probably the reason why he wanted to feel accepted; because home is home, no matter what way you look at it, and you can't turn your back on it. "You and Naruto are probably a lot alike." Sakura could have smiled at the irony.

"Seeing as you think so highly of him, I'll take that as a compliment." he said with an amused expression. "But," his sudden interjection made Sakura curiously raise an eyebrow at him, "there has been something on my mind, regarding the Haruno Clan..."

"Oh?" Sakura shifted uncomfortably under his gaze as it turned a little more serious.

"Saiken seems to have taken a liking to you, Sakura-san... I am inclined to inquire why that is..."

Suddenly he seemed much closer than she would have liked him to be, enough for it to bring a blush to her face as he grasped onto her hand, almost as if telling her not to go anywhere (which, truth be told, she had thought about doing the moment he mentioned her lineage).

Sakura stuttered slightly, "I-I assure you I have no idea why that is..."

Utakata stared deep into Sakura's eyes just then, her emerald green clashing with his own amber orbs. "He reacts kindly to power... And only ever makes a point of emphasizing when he feels comfortable or safe." Utakata explained.

Sakura stared hesitantly at him, as his gaze turns into a charismatic smile that revealed nothing, one that eerily reminded her of Sai more than ever.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say he wants me to lay claims on you, Sakura-san."

Suddenly a flurry, a loud cawing of black birds as they flap their wings and fly away, somewhere within the trees before them, still close enough to distract the two shinobi and break the heavy tension. Sakura effortlessly used this distraction to pull back and have him release her arm, standing up abruptly. "I can almost assure you that this is not the case, Utakata-san." Sakura shook her head. "And I will ask you to not lay your hands on me again. Guest or not, I will not stand for it." Sakura suddenly grew bolder and more forceful, despite the fact that she was sure the blush was still on her face. "I assure you my teammates would have you killed had they heard what you just said."

"I'm sure they would." Utakata chuckled slightly as he stood. "Great treasures should always remain well protected, after all. Now if you will excuse me Sakura-san, I can smell a distinctly sweet scent coming from the dining room. I believe that dessert has been served." And nearly as quickly he excused himself walking passed Sakura, their shoulders brushing against each other (purposely, might Sakura add).

* * *

"Leader-sama."

"What do you guys have for me?"

"Information on Kirigakure and Konohagakure." Kisame respectfully bowed as he spoke, Itachi alongside him.

"What is it?"

"Using Itachi's crows, we were able to identify some sort of friendly engagement between both kages. They're attempting to construct an alliance between the two nations, or so it seems. A week-long tour of Konoha has been prepared for the Mizukage and some of her shinobi, with a Grand Ball to top it all off at the end of the week somewhere within the Fire Country -no location has been specified yet."

Pein uttered not one word as he processed this information for a long time. "You're both dismissed for now. Keep me posted of any changes."

"Hai"

And both shinobi left, making their way down the labyrinth-like maze that was the base.

"You think Pein's going to try to intercept them?" Kisame questioned with a curious gaze.

Itachi didn't bother to respond, and once they came across a junction of two hallways, Itachi bid Kisame good-bye and promptly left.

_'Well what got his panties in a bunch?' _Kisame couldn't help but think with a small frown. Although none but him could probably tell, Itachi was definitely irritable about something, and he couldn't even figure out why. Everything had been just fine up until he received word back from his crows. Whatever; he'd find out later, he supposed. If you read in between the lines close enough, it wasn't too hard to understand Itachi. Or maybe that was just him, who had known the kid for years now and as such, had learned to pick up on his quirks (if one could even call them that).

* * *

"The Shinobi Nations are all starting to form under one..." It was Madara who spoke before Pein, Konan sitting in the background, a mere audience to their conversation. "Much sooner than I would have expected, no less..."

"It won't be long until Kiri and Kumo join the alliance that Konoha has created." Pein spoke. "And once they are formed, following through with our plans will be more difficult -maybe even impossible, with the shared strength of four Jinchuuriki and, for the most part, four equally strong and capable nations behind them."

Madara did not speak for a long time, processing this information. "Tobi and Deidara will go to deal with this problem." he declared loudly and boldly.

Pein hesitated, although not noticeable at all. "And what are you to do?"

"Naturally, we must stop these alliances from forming immediately. As Itachi has been able gather, the only real supporters of this alliance, at least in Kiri's behalf, is the Mizukage and the Jinchuuriki. Without their kage, their plan falls."

The implication was clear.

He would kill the Godaime Mizukage.

And more than likely kidnap at least one of the Jinchuuriki, if he were being realistic -he definitely had the strength to overwhelm them, that's for sure.

Although he dare not show it, this was unsettling him.

"Pardon me for interrupting," suddenly it was Konan who spoke. "But I must inquire on the tactic you plan on using."

Although you couldn't tell behind his swirly orange mask, Madara raised an eyebrow. "Why?" he questioned.

"Not that I want to undermine Deidara's capabilities, but he still lacks an arm -sending him out is like asking him to be a burden. A burden who will lie on your shoulders, and is it truly best for your capabilities and powers to be seen by all of Leaf and Mist? You yourself stated that your true identity should not be revealed until the very end; until it was truly necessary."

Although he hated to admit it, Konan was right. It wasn't that he particularly wanted to take care of this hindrance -it was more so that he wanted to see if he could perhaps catch a glimpse of the pink-haired kunoichi he had seen the prior week. But were he to go under the alias of Tobi, he would have to be accompanied by his partner, now Deidara, since both had officially lost their original partners. And although Deidara could still probably fair well enough on his own, he was sure that in this supposed ball, a time when both Jinchuuriki's and kages will all be under one roof, and as such a pristine opportunity to attack and obtain his demons, there would be high security and surveillance. Konoha was a force to be reckoned with, especially the coming generation of shinobi -probably no match for him as Madara, but no normal shinobi, Akatsuki or not, would be able to withstand the likes of some of their shinobi simultaneously.

"What do you suggest, then?"

"Well, there's only one other team that can be mobilized in the present time."

Madara did not speak for the longest of moments. No, it wasn't that he doubted their skills or resolve -Madara would essentially be pitting both shinobi against their former nations, after all, it was just that he was still oddly suspicious of the kunoichi and what Itachi's reaction would be if he so much as got a peek at her, because from what he knew, he had yet to spot her.

But he supposed he really had no other choice, did he?

"Send them out."

"I'll inform them right away." Konan nodded as she bowed, and then promptly exited the room, her posture and expression betraying the tension she felt on the inside. This is all she could do from where she stood -she just hoped this would be enough to protect her clan.

Because with Itachi's warning just a few days ago, came the realization that Madara would stop at nothing to annihilate the Haruno Clan, although she couldn't fathom why. As such, sending Tobi, no, Madara to that ball, was just asking for the rest of her clan to be annihilated.

Ironically enough, she didn't even need to travel all the way to Itachi's room, for she found him standing in the hallway, almost as if he had been waiting patiently for her. Their eyes clashed, and some sort of unspoken truce seemed to form between the two.

"I presume Kisame and I are going to intervene?" Although he asked this, it sounded more like a statement than a question.

In response, Konan nodded in confirmation. "It was either you or Deidara and Tobi. I reasoned with Madara that the best alternative here was you two."

Itachi nodded, before he turned around and walked away. "Inform Leader we'll leave in three days."

Konan did not respond, simply turning around and walking away, but the same thought lingered in both their minds.

_'He/She's protecting her...'_

**End of Chapter**

**As a quick side-note just because the age of Utakata is never really specified (correct me if I'm wrong), I'm going to make him 6 years older than the Rookie 9, putting him at age 24, approximately the same age as Itachi (25).**

**And yes, you did catch hints of Utakata x Sakura, just to spice things up a bit. As was a similar case with Gaara and Shukaku, the demons within them are aware of the changing times, but whether or not they bother to notify their Jinchuuriki is entirely up to them. As you can guess, Utakata is not informed. As was also the case with Shukaku and partially Kurama, the demons take a strong liking to Sakura, knowing her to be in close contact with Matsuro, one of their "mothers", you can say, and also knowing that she was indirectly saving their behinds. As such, they become slightly "possessive" you can say, but as for Naruto and Gaara, already knowing and being familiar with Sakura, this takes on more of a brotherly sort of attachment, which proves to not be the case for other Jinchuuriki such as Utakata. **

**I'm not entirely sure what I want to do with this attachment, other than just make Itachi jealous, but we'll see where it goes ^-^ I'm open to suggestions and criticisms though.**

**That is pretty much all I have to say on the matter for this.**

**In other news, updates have been slow. Work and school have been keeping me busy. Somewhere We Belong is really close to its next update though. so keep an eye out for that.**

**Any and all feedback is much appreciated!**

**-MarzSpy**


	9. Masquerade

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form**

**Chapter 9: Masquerade**

* * *

"Jiraiya, it's been a while."

"What a pleasure to see you, Tsunade-hime." Jiraiya stated as he eased himself onto the booth of the quaint, isolated bar, two glasses of sake already placed on both sides of the table for each of them respectively, although Tsunade had not so much as glanced at her glass, waiting impatiently for Jiraiya. "It's not very often I get the honor of being sent here for you." He grinned a typical grin towards his former teammate.

"Well, why would I want to associate myself with a perverted old oaf like you, after all?" she stated sarcastically -obviously she loved her teammate to death (maybe as a little more than just a friend or teammate), not that she would ever admit that.

"Aww come on Tsunade-hime, that hurts." he feigned a hurt expression.

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Shut up already."

Jiraiya cracked a grin but said no more, as his eyes began to roam around the small bar, his eyes glancing towards a waitress with a particularly big bust size. "It's as you expected. My contacts are telling me that we should expect their arrival."

"Tch" Tsunade bit her thumb slightly, turning to glance the opposite way of Jiraiya and staring out a small window beside her. "This doesn't just put our alliance at risk, but our Jinchuuriki and shinobi as well."

"I suggest you have the place heavily guarded. Casualties may be prevented, after all."

"But is a brute, head-first attack really what we should be expecting, if it comes at all?" Tsunade questioned, her eyes glancing at Jiraiya, glaring slightly, not just because of the implication behind their conversation, but because of the fact that her former teammate was openly oggling a young waitress right in front of her, _while having such a serious conversation, _no less.

"I don't suppose Akatsuki really knows any other way, though. It's not like they have the most normal looking shinobi with particularly conspicuous attacks." Jiraiya responded, oblivious to Tsunade's glare.

And Tsunade supposed she could not argue that one. Kisame Hoshigaki was a man seven feet in stature, who's skin color and physical attributes made him resemble a shark more so than a human. The one named Deidara had long blonde hair and for Kami's sake, he was missing an arm! Orochimaru was easily identifiable around all of the elite shinobi in Konoha, as was Itachi. The only one who could pose as an actual threat was Tobi, for he wore a mask, and as such they didn't have the faintest idea of what he looked like.

"Henges won't work with shinobi such as the Hyuga and the Uchiha at every corner. The only form of attack they could possibly use to get in is a frontal attack" Jiraiya stated, an attempt to offer Tsunade some sort of ease.

"Yes, but this is a masquerade Jiraiya. I don't think henges would be necessary to sneak in." Originally, the decision of making it a masquerade was made to hide the identities of any and all important figures that may need protection in case of an attack, such as Naruto, Utakata, Mei, or herself, but now that they knew Akatsuki was trying to get involved, it seemed that it only made things trickier. Naruto had a way of always making himself known, after all, and after getting to know Mei for a full week, she had learned that Mei had the same tendency.

"It's a private party with limited guests; invitations are required." Jiraiya insisted.

Tsunade did not speak, pondering on what it was that she should do. Cancelling the gala was a no -it would destroy all of the efforts they had been making for the duration of Mei's stay. But to risk the danger...?

"If they attack, it will be at most two; they only ever work in pairs. You think that they'll get very far with over a hundred shinobi at the ready to attack?" And this, Tsunade could not deny. Her shinobi were more than capable of handling a nuisance, at least scaring off Akatsuki and not giving them a chance to attack their intended target, whoever that person may be at this point in time. "I suggest you alert Mei of the risks with this ball. Let her know what she's signing herself up for, considering she probably wants this alliance more than we do. She'll have her shinobi cooperate with us."

Tsunade nodded. "That seems to be the best choice to make." She sighed slightly, downing a shot of sake.

"Relax. Everything will be fine." Jiraiya grinned, lifting his glass up as a sort of toast before he too downed his cup of sake.

"I sure hope so." She sighed, as she glanced at Jiraiya. "And stop checking out that waitress." she snapped.

* * *

"I'm infiltrating a ball -that's hilarious." Kisame mused as he and Itachi ran through the thick forested expanse. "I could swear I abandoned my village to not get tied down to these sort of political hassles."

"Men with power can never escape politics." Itachi glanced at Kisame for the slightest of moments as he spoke, taking in Kisame's facial expression.

"I guess that's true, but it'd be nice to." Kisame frowned slightly as he shrugged. "I wish Sasori was still alive."

Itachi didn't respond, knowing the implication behind Kisame's words. If Sasori were still alive, he and Deidara would currently be in their shoes -a seven foot tall blue giant had no business here, especially not one that swung around a giant sword, after all.

Yet, Itachi found that he couldn't particularly complain this time around -if not them, then this burden would be passed down to Madara and Deidara, an act that didn't bode well with him, despite how strongly he tried to deny it. It was because Mikoto, Sasuke, and Saki were there, he tried to assure himself, but deep down inside he knew them to not be in any imminent danger around Madara. After all, if Madara saw them as a threat he would have disposed of them long ago, in particular Sasuke. But he knew even if they were, he would not make a move. Madara needed Sasuke, wanted Sasuke, for that matter, and if he killed his mother and sister the chances of gaining him on Madara's side were nearly impossible. The only real tactic he had, was if he used Itachi -of which he knew would fail anyway.

Because when it came down to it, Sasuke already knew the truth behind the massacre -not all of it, but enough. He supposed he could thank Sakura in this aspect, for she single-handed, had already ruined part of Madara's plans and he was none the wiser.

Nevertheless, Itachi's mind was wandering from what currently troubled him. Well, not particularly troubled him, but rather... _intrigued_ him.

* * *

"Sakura-hime." Hiroto stood before her door, waiting for her to give him the okay to come in.

"It's Sakura-chan, remember?" he heard Sakura's voice, an indication for him to come in, which he gladly took. He slid open the shoji door to Sakura's room, finding her sitting before her vanity mirror, examining her physique. "No need to alert anyone of my status as Haruno heir, after all." As she spoke, she stood and turned to face Hiroto, who was dressed in a fancy tuxedo, a pink tie that matched perfectly with his eyes. "You look nice." she complimented, approaching him as she looked him up and down.

"Himawari-chan picked this out." Hiroto shrugged.

"I can tell." Sakura laughed slightly.

"You look beautiful too, Sakura-hime." he ignored Sakura's pout at the endearment. "Watch out, or you're going to attract more attention than what's wanted." Hiroto winked at her.

Sakura laughed. "Gomen," she apologized. "I couldn't get out of shopping with Himawari-chan and Ino-pig. You can blame them for this." She looked down, examining her figure, finely dressed in a simple but stunning, long red dress, one-shouldered, and with a high slit that exposed Sakura's legs. "But enough about me. Is everyone ready?" Sakura changed the subject.

"Mikoto is finishing up Saki's hair. Himawari is waiting with Sasuke and Naruto. I haven't received word from Marika since yesterday." Hiroto informed dutifully.

"That's fine, she'll be arriving late anyway. We'll meet her at the party, it's not like she'll be too hard to identify." Sakura gave a small chuckle. After all, not like there were very many people with piercing blue hair and green eyes. "Let's get going, I don't want to be late."

"Hai"

And so they both turned and exited Sakura's room, walking down the hallway of the Haruno household until she came across her team, minus Kakashi, and her beloved cousin, impatiently waiting for everyone to finish -at least, this held true for the two males in the group.

Upon hearing footsteps, both males eagerly stood up, having been waiting for nearly thirty minutes. "Finally! Let's-!" But Naruto's shout was cut short as he caught a glimpse of Sakura, her pink locks curled to perfection.

Sakura could have rolled her eyes at the antics of her teammate. Leave it to Naruto to have an unwavering crush on Sakura in two different timelines, and still not realize how deeply and madly in love Hinata was with him. "Now, now Naruto, close your mouth, lest you drool all over your suit. Kami knows how long Mikoto had to pester you for you to finally put that on. You'll ruin any and all chances of any woman taking a liking to you this evening."

Naruto was quick to blush in embarrassment, closing his mouth completely and looking away bashfully, all the while Himawari giggling in the sidelines.

"Leave it to Sakura-neesama to look absolutely beautiful without even trying." Suddenly Saki appeared running down the hallway, dressed in a long, sparkly choker blue dress, Mikoto trailing slightly behind her in a simple, long-sleeved black dress, a mature but still classy look for the Uchiha matriarch.

"Okaa-san." Sasuke was quick to stand, a sign of respect as he greeted his mother.

Mikoto merely smiled, her eyes glinting in delight. "My, you two look dashing!" she squealed in delight, looking up and down at Naruto and Sasuke. "Although I truly hate your normal attire, I must say that the orange tie does something for you, Naruto-kun. And you too, Sasuke-kun! It won't be long until you're showing up with a woman by your side~" she squealed in delight.

Sakura took her eyes off of Mikoto, if only to stop herself from laughing -Sasuke bringing a girl home? As if.

Conversation was minimal from there onwards, Saki exclaiming loudly that she had never been to a masquerade, and that she was excited to see all of the different masks. When it was finally time to go, all of them exited the building and began walking down the road together, but it wasn't until they had arrived in front of their designated carriage that Saki finally realized that they would not all be travelling together.

"Sakura-neesama, you're not coming with me?" She pouted, an action that instantly irritated Sasuke (why was she more concerned about the fact that Sakura wasn't going to be there? Didn't he count for something?).

Sakura gave a small smile as she shook her head. "Sasuke-kun, Naruto and I have some business we must see to with Tsunade-sama before we go. You'll be travelling with Himawari-chan and Hiroto though, so don't worry. You'll see me in a few hours." Sakura winked.

Although unhappy with the news, Saki would not complain with the company she had now.

And so Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura saw off the Harunos' and Uchihas' respectively, and once they were finally out of eye-shot, they turned and made their way towards the Hokage tower.

Upon their arrival, Tsunade finally seemed at ease, having all of her designated shinobi around her, alongside Mei and some of her own shinobi.

"As you all know, we may or may not come across Akatsuki tonight." Tsunade's words lay thick as everyone process the information. "I don't have to tell you guys to keep your eyes peeled. We have eyes on the outside, but in order to not bring fear to our guests, we must keep security on the inside hidden. This is where you guys come in."

As she stated this, her eyes turned to some of her shinobi, in particular Sayuri and Kakashi, some of the only shinobi currently in the room who were clad in ANBU gear, and not some sort of dress or tux. "You two, keep well hidden. The rest of you, have fun but keep in mind that we're working."

"Hai" All shinobi shouted in unison.

"It is imperative everything run smoothly. Akatsuki fears what may happen if this treaty actualizes -it is clear by their likely arrival. They are afraid; let's keep it that way." her last statement was met with a confident and fiery smirk, one that sort of set a fire in everyone's eyes as well.

"That's right Akatsuki. Tremble before the might of the Fire and Mist Nations."

* * *

Itachi looked himself over, examining the reflection he saw in the mirror, mostly with boredom and disinterest. "Wow, looking sharp kid." Kisame whistled as he stared at Itachi's aristocratic features, his fine Uchiha lineage showing despite the many years of the rugged lifestyle he was used to.

Itachi opted to ignore Kisame, faintly wondering how long it had been since the occasion called for him to wear a suit and tie. It had easily been over eleven, that's for sure. "Are preparations ready?" He opted to ask instead.

"Hai" Kisame gave a grin as he turned around, his eyes falling on a young, dark-haired male, bound and gagged with the most terrified expression one had ever witnessed. "Now, listen here brat, if you do as we say you get to live past tonight, got it?"

Although said man was petrified to the bone with tears in his eyes, he nodded fervently, as if his life depended on it -which it did.

Kisame grinned. "Glad to hear"

* * *

"Hiroto Takashima?"

"Hai"

"It is our pleasure to have you. You may continue."

"Thank you." Hiroto gave a small nod, receiving his name-tag and continuing on into the large mansion-esque building.

But as soon as he entered the building through the two, glamorous doors, suddenly there was another shinobi. "If you would follow me this way, I will escort you to your seat, Mr. Takashima." the shinobi looked at his name tag, and then looked up with a smile.

"Actually, I really have to use the restroom first. Where might that be?"

"I will escort you there, then." the shinobi nodded.

"I am perfectly fine by myself, don't worry." Hiroto offered a smile.

"For security reasons, I must highly recommend that you stay with an escort until you reach the reception area."

Hiroto smiled. "If you insist."

"Right this way, if you will."

And so Hiroto went to the bathroom, while the shinobi waited patiently outside. But Hiroto, upon arriving at the bathroom, made sure that all the stalls were empty, before casting a genjutsu over the entirety of the bathroom, one so efficient that none would be able to sense it. Shortly afterwards, he entered a stall himself and removed from a coat pocket a single scroll with a seal. And from within this scroll he summoned a Sameheda, and slowly but surely, a man, blue in color, began to emerge from the flesh-eating sword.

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile Itachi. I guess there's a first for everything, nee?" Kisame mused.

Itachi didn't respond, suddenly feeling uncomfortable being inside a cubicle with a seven foot man and a nearly as large sword. "You know what to do." and so he turned, making sure to flush the toilet, before he opened the door and left, neither Kisame nor his sword in the stall any longer.

Itachi, or should I say Hiroto Takashima, washed his hands, staring at his reflection for the slightest of moments, his hair styled as it always was but now trimmed significantly shorter, his Sharingan eyes deactivated for the first time in ages, and an intricate and magnificent masquerade mask hiding a majority of his noble Uchiha-esque features. Promptly afterwards, he turned and exited the bathroom, simultaneously deactivating the genjutsu, not surprised to see the shinobi that had escorted him still standing there. "Thank you for your patience." Hiroto gave a small smile.

"No need to thank me." the shinobi returned the smile. "Now if you will please follow me, I will escort you to your seat in the reception room." Hiroto said nothing more as he followed closely behind the shinobi, his eyes discreetly darting around left and right as he remembered every single detail that there was to remember about the hallways. "Beyond these doors is the reception." And as he said this he opened the double doors, revealing a grand ball-like room, vast in expanse, filled already with hundreds of people, all with elaborate dresses and tuxes and masks of the sort.

No sooner was Itachi placed at a table, the shinobi bowing to him. "I hope you find tonight's festivities to your liking, Mr. Takashima. If you will excuse me."

Itachi forced another smile as he bid the shinobi goodbye, and upon finding himself all alone, he allowed his eyes to roam the expanse of the dance floor and the other dozens of tables that surrounded it. Ahead of him was a giant staircase the split into two separate stairs that led up the opposite sides of the second floor. It was safe to assume that the honored guests, in this particular case more than likely Mei, and notable heads such as Tsunade, would make their appearance from there if they weren't already on the floor. And seeing the lack of crowds, it seemed that that would be the case.

Luckily enough, it didn't seem that the second floor was off limits for guests, and as such, he slowly made his way up to the second story of the buildings, casually walking around as if he were simply admiring the architecture of the building, careful to wander around until he was sure that he was neither being watched nor followed.

And without so much as a second thought, Hiroto Takashima was gone from the hallway with numerous doors, entering one in which he knew Kisame to be. "Took you long enough." Kisame sighed.

Itachi ignored him once more, seeing Kisame now under a genjutsu, now of average height and color, donning a luxurious white dress shirt and a fancy black button up vest, his suit jacket tossed over his shoulder, held on by one hand. His tie was similar to Itachi's, except that it was blue in color, whereas Itachi's was a crimson red. He had a masquerade mask on, strapped at his neck, blue in color with golden gems etched at the sides. "Security inside is not as heavy as it is outside." Itachi stated.

"Of course it isn't. With security so heavy outside, the chances of us getting in undetected were nearly moot. Of course, we just happen to be lucky that one of us here knows how to feign political importance, you cute little son of the Tea Daimyo you." Kisame teased, something that, yet again, Itachi ignored. "Anyway, let's not diddle-daddle. We have a Mizukage to assassinate."

Yet, as Kisame began to walk towards the door, Itachi decided to speak up. "Kisame" he called out his name, a sign for Kisame to stop.

"Hai?" he turned to look at Itachi questioningly.

"Are you having second thoughts?" his question was blunt and straight to the point, and it caused Kisame's eyebrows to scrunch up.

And then he turned around fully, his coat now tucked under his arm as he shoved his hands in his pant pockets. "There's really no getting anything past you, is there?" he sighed. "Then again I suppose I could have been a little less obvious about it." he had been looking at the floor, but suddenly he looked up, staring fixedly straight at Itachi. "...I'm not sure anymore..." he admitted slowly. "Are you?"

But Itachi didn't answer him -at least, not in the way Kisame had expected. "No matter who we are or who we follow, we should always remain true to our own goals." he stated. "And if these beliefs do not coincide with the acts we are enacting, you should carve your own path."

Kisame could have laughed -was his junior by at least eight years seriously giving him a lesson in life? But regardless of the irony, he was glad to hear these words from Itachi. As such, he walked away from the door he had been hovering by and instead walked towards the window, gazing out at the lights of the buildings surrounding them. "I deserted Kirigakure because I was disillusioned by the politics. It was all a lie... one which I didn't want to be a part of. But Mei... Iee, the Mizukage," he corrected himself, notifying Itachi that, to a certain extent, he was acknowledging her -giving her some respect, "she's sincerely trying to clean up Kirigakure. She's been working -relentlessly, at that, to guide Kiri to a more truthful and peaceful life." He sighed once more, turning back to Itachi. "She's creating a village which I would have died to try and protect. And here I am, on my way to murder the very person who is trying so hard to accomplish the foolish dreams that I had once had as a young shinobi." he laughed at the irony.

But where did this put him? He couldn't simply go against Madara -not without dying, he was sure. And now he was simply stuck at a crossroad. "Y'know," he began once more, "I'm glad that I joined Akatsuki, Itachi, if only because I was able to befriend you." it was a rare heartfelt moment between the two long-term friends. "You might just be the only friend I've managed to keep throughout the years -the only person who has been faithful and truthful."

Itachi stared at Kisame, still not speaking a word.

Yet, Kisame sighed once more, beginning to walk. "But whatever; orders are orders." he shrugged. "Don't worry about this one Itachi. I know you don't like getting your hands dirty anyway." he stated. "Let's go."

And so Itachi followed suit, although one thought did strike him. What was Kisame planning?

_Whatever happens tonight, he'd be fighting for what he believed in... even if it is fighting for a better peace for his country._

* * *

"Even with a mask on you still attract attention." Kisame could have snickered, standing alongside his best friend, both with drinks in their hands and seemingly enjoying the bustle of the party, although they were keeping a close eye on all entrances and exits. "Even as a deadly murderer you can snag a girl -how lucky are you?" he joked.

But Itachi ignored him, both of them knowing fully well that he had absolutely no intentions of "snagging a girl," as Kisame had put it.

"Nee, you think that Haruno is going to be here? Y'know, the one who defeated Sasori? You'd think she'd be considered an honored guest, no?" Itachi flashed him a glance, a means of telling him to stop talking -to above all else stop mentioning irrelevant topics. "Just saying." Kisame shrugged nonchalantly. "She was impressive, no?"

"Nothing neither of us can't handle." Itachi brushed his comment aside. "They'll be arriving soon." he announced, changing the subject, as he stared at the large clock that nearly struck Ten.

"Hai, hai." Kisame mused, mentally wondering why it was that Itachi still adamantly refused to speak of the Haruno. "I'll take my leave then, Mr. Takashima." he winked, placing a hand on Itachi's shoulder before he walked on in opposite directions as Itachi.

* * *

"Remember. You guys are our eyes on the inside." Tsunade stared at her shinobi. "Try hard to not raise suspicion from anyone though -this will evoke fear into the guests and we're trying to avoid that as much as possible."

"Hai" they all said in unison.

"This applies to all of you as well." It was Mei who spoke this time, eyeing her own group of shinobi.

"Hai!"

And so, without so much as one look towards the other kage, both Mei and Tsunade, clad in extravagant blue and green clothing respectively, split, going in opposite directions from the second floor, their shinobi following suit.

Having been alerted of their presence, all the hustle and bustle of the lower floor seemingly ceased in a split second, all guests un-moving as they allowed the two kages to make their entrance, each with three pairs of shinobi trailing behind them.

"Do you sense anything?" It was Sakura who whispered as they made their descent down the first flight of stairs, flashing Neji Hyuga a glance from his position behind her.

"Iee" he inconspicuously turned to survey the people in the room. "Then again, who knows who we might be dealing with. A master at genjutsu could probably stay undetected with little effort. I'd need my Byakugan." Neji stated.

"I-I'll be on the look-out t-too." It was Hinata's small whisper, spoken from alongside Naruto, in front of Sakura.

"Relax Sakura. We have nothing to worry about." Sasuke, who had his arm wrapped around Sakura's own, allowed himself a moment to squeeze it lightly as if trying to comfort her.

But you could not blame her for her nerves, honestly. She had done the math -either Itachi or Kisame would show up, or Tobi and Deidara would. She desperately hoped it to be the former -not because she knew Itachi to be an ultimate ally, but because she was scared to think of what destruction this Tobi Uchiha could create.

"Sasuke's right. We have shinobi at every corner. There's no way Akatsuki can get away with it so easily this time." TenTen spoke, her arm wrapped around Neji's own.

"I'd like to see them try." It was Naruto's cocky outburst that was finally able to set Sakura's mind at ease. That's right, with Naruto here, there was no way anything could possibly happen. Suddenly they stopped, at the top of the main stair, the group of shinobi standing respectfully behind their respective kage.

"We introduce to you the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade, and the Godaime Mizukage, Mei." the announcer spoke, and no sooner was there clapping from all directions.

And Sakura watched on, alongside her fellow shinobi, as Tsunade began a long, pre-planned elaborate speech, her eyes roaming the crowds until they landed on Saki and Mikoto, both sitting at a distant table, Saki fervently waving her hands to try and get Sakura's attention. She smiled her way, and it seemed enough to please Saki, who sat down with a smile on her face as she listened to Tsunade's speech.

"-And it is with great pleasure that I attest to the New Age for Kirigakure. Alongside Mei, these two nations will prosper and benefit from an alliance with each other."

"To a better future!" It was Mei who chanted these last words, both she and Tsunade raising their glasses, as everyone else did in the room, to support this salute.

They drank their glasses, and then they began their descent down the stairs, each of them once again taking their respectful pair by the arm, the males on the inside and he females on the outside.

And as Sakura began walking, her eyes roaming the crowds, her eyes met with those of a man, his onyx eyes seemingly catching her own in a deadlock, and for the slightest of moments time seemed to stop as she recognized those eyes, those broad shoulders and that seemingly not as long black hair. There was no mistaking it. '_Itachi_...'

But he continued to walk past her, his own body being swallowed up by the crowd who respectfully stood by as the kages and their entourage made their entrance. But Sakura bit her tongue, her eyes suddenly darting around the crowd frantically. If Itachi was here that meant that Kisame was too. '_He was warning me.._.' Sakura noted. Because Itachi would never allow himself to be seen if he didn't want to be, after all.

From alongside her, Sasuke sensed her frantic, panicked state. "Sakura?" his senses expanded.

"They're here." it was but a whisper, but it was heard by the shinobi around her nonetheless, and they too began to look suspiciously at the crowd. Both Hinata and Neji activated their Byakugan's, gone unnoticed because of the masks they wore, and as they did this their eyes were quick to widen.

"He's-!"

In a split second they heard the sound of metal against metal, Sakura's Flower Eye and Sasuke's Sharingan already lit as they broke formation to see what had occurred.

Apparently, it had been a collective effort of Sayuri and Kakashi, both simultaneously blocking an attack for Mei from the Sameheda and attempting to knock him off balance, although the Kiri-nin seemed hardly fazed. Within the next second the crowd had cleared, leaving space between the kages and the Akatsuki member easily identifiable as Kisame Hoshigaki.

"We were expecting you." Tsunade spoke, a glare visible on her features, her shoulders tense at the sudden attack, so early on into the night. "To think that you'd attack so quickly after our arrival -you must be in a hurry."

Kisame didn't reply, weighing his option as he saw the sum of not just Kakashi and Sayuri, but Sasuke, Neji, and Yamato as well, surround Kisame, all but Sasuke and Neji dressed in ANBU attire. As previously told, Sakura grabbed the hands of Naruto and Hinata and separated some distance, dashing immediately into the crowds and heading straight towards the location where she knew Saki and Mikoto to be. After all, there was no reason to throw their Jinchuuriki into the fray, and they had had explicit instructions to make sure the Hyuga heiress was not touched.

"Sakura-chan, let me go!" Naruto complained, trying to release Sakura's grasp on his wrist, but Sakura wouldn't budge.

"You're not to get involved Naruto." she shook her head. "Sasuke-kun, Neji, and Kakashi-sensei are more than capable. We need to make sure there's not another impending attack."

Seeing the logic in Sakura's words, he stopped struggling. "Where are we going?"

"We're securing Mikoto and Saki's location first and foremost." Sakura explained, her golden orbs staring straight into Naruto's.

In response, he merely nodded, knowing that Sasuke would absolutely castrate him if something somehow ended up happening to his mother and sister. What they saw when she approached their table was Mikoto, Saki on her lap, hugging her from behind, her eyes frantically searching for Sasuke or Sakura. When her eyes finally landed on Sakura's, Hinata's, and Naruto's approaching figures, relief seemed to wash over her. "Sakura, what's going on?"

"It's as we expected. Akatsuki."

"For the Jinchuuriki?" Mikoto questioned.

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "Iee. Kisame seems to be targeting Mei for some reason."

"Kisame?" Mikoto's eyes widened slightly. "Does that mean-" She couldn't even say it, her eyes darting to the crowd.

"Hai..." Sakura did the same. "Itachi..." but suddenly her eyes turned to Naruto and Hinata. "Naruto, stay here."

And although Naruto was reluctant and wanted to argue, Sakura had dashed off before he could even do so.

And so Sakura once again pushed herself past the crowds, frantically searching for the Uchiha male while also simultaneously nearing the fight between the Konoha-nin and Kisame. Sakura heard more clangs of metal, turning to see Kisame fighting -and faring well enough, might she add, with five of the most elite shinobi Konoha had to offer. But this wouldn't last long, she knew; none of them had even gotten started.

But even this confused her, eyes still scanning for the mysterious dark-haired shinobi. Where was he and why wasn't he even attempting to aid his partner? Most importantly, why had Kisame decided to do such a flashy entrance, especially when both kages were as heavily guarded as they would ever be? It didn't add up to her. He could have just as easily waited until they were seated, perhaps catch her off guard while she was going to the bathroom -why now? Why in such a seemingly sloppy fashion? Not to mention, why Mei? Why not Naruto or Utakata? Could it be that he had already been spotted and as such had no choice but to make a move? It was plausible -Sayuri and Kakashi had responded very quickly, after all.

It didn't add up to her, and she knew that if she wanted answers she'd have to look for Itachi -he'd be the only one that could shine some light on the ordeal, if he allowed it. And so, knowing that she'd have a greater vantage point from the second story, she moved upstairs, noticing that it had become a stalemate at the bottom floor, all six shinobi just seizing each other up.

Yet, as she move past a large pillar suddenly a hand reached out, grasping her by the wrist and pulling her in, successfully blocking her out of anyone's vision. She looked up to see Sharingan eyes blazing down on her behind a black, intricate mask, and immediately her heart began to pound harder than it already was.

"Itachi, what is he-"

But he cut her off. "He has chosen his path, Sakura."

Her eyebrows furrowed. His path? What path? And why Mei? Had he been ordered to attack her? "Wha-"

"He will die for his cause."

It sort of pissed her off how Itachi always talked in riddles -why couldn't he just say what it is that he meant?

"He is first and foremost a Kiri-nin, as I am a Konoha shinobi."

Her eyes widened at that, Itachi's grip on her wrist loosening and allowing her the liberty to spin around the pillar to look at the fight before them. And, with her eyes now activated, she could see it, his full power not even activated, his chakra reserves hardly being touched.

"He... _wants _to lose?" she muttered this, primarily to herself.

It dawned on her, but as she spun around to speak to Itachi yet again he was already gone, and so she allowed herself to turn back to the scene before her. '_I have to save him..._'

She didn't know why she felt like she had to -maybe because he had saved her, truthfully speaking. If not because of that, then because she was curious -why would he give his own life on a fake assassination attempt? And if not because of that then because something deep within her told her that she had made a friend out of Kisame, and as such, she could not allow him to die without first trying to intervene. Without first trying to understand him.

Her feet moved, whether or not she willed them to do so or not, and she was racing back down the stairs, pushing her way past the crowds and '_Holy crap why were heels even invented_?!', until she was standing alongside Tsunade and Mei, both of which heavily guarded by a group of shinobi.

But as she saw the scene unfold before her, saw Kisame's strength seemingly wavering, although she knew that the nin before her was but a shadow of the true strength of Kisame Hoshigaki, desperation filled her orbs. "Tsunade-shishou..." Sakura muttered. "We can't... Stop" But she was either too distracted to pay her any attention, or simply didn't understand, because she did nothing to stop her shinobi -yet, it seemed that Sayuri picked up on this, seeing Sakura's figure approach Tsunade in a hasty fashion, and her actions faltered for the slightest of seconds, not gone unnoticed by the likes of Mei and Tsunade. "Shisou." Sakura's strong remark caught not only Tsunade's attention this time around, but Mei's as well, as she poked Tsunade furiously in the rib. "Stop them."

Tsunade seemed to snap out of whatever daze she had been in, and no sooner her hand raised in a halt. "Stop!"

And even as Sayuri got ready to deliver the final blow, it was enough of a command to have both Sayuri and Kisame's eyes widen and Sayuri's sword halted. He was down on his knees, both his hands and feet immobilized by Yamato's wood-style techniques and secured down by Kakashi's own water prism. And there Sayuri stood, blade just inches from Kisame's neck.

"Stop" Tsunade affirmed once more, assuring Sayuri that she had indeed ordered them to _not _kill a lethal Akatsuki member.

Sayuri stared, clearly confused, but no sooner put her sword away and bowed. Kisame looked from the female ANBU member to the Haruno female before him, clad in a beautiful dress and her long bubble-gum pink hair beautifully styled in curls, because he had seen enough of their interactions from the corner of his eyes to see that the only reason Tsunade had stopped his impending death was because of her.

But no words were exchanged between the two, even as their eyes met, for it was Mei who spoke, stepping up as well. "What is the meaning of this?" she questioned, more so intrigued at the interaction of Tsunade and the Haruno who had been seemingly put in the background for the duration of their stay in Konoha -Sakura Haruno, was it?

Sakura turned to look at Mei, both of their eyes clashing, knowing fully well that Mei knew Tsunade had stopped their assault because of her. "Today is a day to celebrate the union of two great nations." Sakura began. "Today is a day for forgiveness, above all else" Sakura continued, her hands hovering over her mask for the slightest of seconds before she removed it completely. "The Haruno Clan have been harmed by your people; but we will not let this deter our efforts for a brighter future. As such, this day is not the day for blood-shed."

Suddenly the remaining five Harunos', other than Sakura were before her, pushing their way past the crowds and making their entrance, Daichi the only Haruno other than Sayuri dressed in an ANBU attire.

"We humbly ask that this execution be put off for another day."

Mei's eyes widened, seeing the Harunos' bowing before the young kunoichi, almost as if supporting her claim. '_By God she's the heir_...' Her eyes turned to Tsunade, who was also looking at Mei expectantly, almost as if confirming Mei's belief. There was no doubt about it now, she was sure, for now that she looked at Sakura, actually looked at her and saw the way she spoke and held herself, there was no question in her mind that this could only be the heir -even she had heard of the prophecies.

"I have to be in agreement." Tsunade explained. "Furthermore, this man may serve as information. We should consider executing him for another day."

Mei, although shocked, kept her cool and smiled. "You're absolutely right. Today we celebrate!"

Sakura didn't know how, but somehow Mei had managed to bring out a yelp of excitement and cheering from the people (Kami she was so much like Naruto it kind of scared her). Yet, she turned back around, Sayuri, Kakashi, and Daichi already restraining the disgruntled Kiri-nin, making sure to take all precautions so that he couldn't use his chakra or get away. And so they made him stand, and Sakura approached the trio, not staring directly at any of them but still muttering under her breath. "Lock him up but leave interrogation to me. Make sure Danzo's forces don't get his hands on him."

Although intrigued, Kakashi said nothing -who ever knew what was going on in Sakura's head anyway.

"Hai"

Sakura and Kisame's eyes met once more -a flash of recognition, it seemed to Kisame, flashed through her orbs, but she briskly turned around and left before he could ponder it.

* * *

Somehow, with whatever luck that they had, the party had resumed in full force, hardly anyone seemingly affected by the appearance of the Akatsuki member just hours prior. Of course, security was still high, for everyone knew that Akatsuki always traveled in pairs and as such Itachi Uchiha was still on the loose somewhere.

"Their greatest chance of attacking successfully is if they attack at the same time. Given that his partner is already safely detained, I do not see the Uchiha coming around for round two." Tsunade tried to set her shinobi's minds at ease.

Sakura, sitting among the same table as the most honored guests, alongside the last three remaining Uchiha and some of the other Clan Heads, couldn't help but sigh, her eyes roaming the crowds. It didn't matter anyway. Itachi wasn't using a genjutsu, so neither the Byakugan eyes nor the Sharingan would be able to spot him -not that Sasuke would ever engage in battle with him anyway. The Harunos' already knew of Itachi's ultimate innocence, so she didn't have to worry there either.

Was he still even there to begin with, Sakura couldn't help but wonder. He could have just booked it the moment Kisame had been detained -it seemed likely, anyhow, for there was technically nothing else to do after that. His partner was alive and Konoha safe, after all. "May I have this dance, Sakura-hime?"

Sakura looked up to see Hiroto, a playful grin on his features, his eyes seemingly lighting in mischief -although they were always like that to begin with anyway. She returned the smile, grabbing the hand that was offered to her as she stood, allowing Hiroto to lead the way towards the dance floor. And so he put his hand on her waist and she her own on his shoulders, and they began the graceful waltz to the wonderful music. "What's your purpose for saving Kisame?" he questioned after some time.

Ahh, so this is what he wanted to know. "I don't know yet." she was honest, "But I know I'm not the only one that could have noticed he wasn't even trying."

Hiroto nodded in agreement. "It's almost as if he wanted to be defeated."

"Hai." she paused momentarily as Hiroto spun her, and then she continued her conversation. "Needless to say, I owe that man a great deal. He saved my life, although he may not be aware of it now. Plus, maybe he truly can be of useful information to us. His hesitation proves that he still holds ties to Kirigakure -maybe he has lost his purpose."

"It would seem likely." Hiroto confirmed. "I have received word that he is now in a cell in interrogation. Sayuri, Daichi, and Kakashi are all taking turns watching him, as you have ordered."

Sakura nodded. "Good. I just need him there so I can question him tomorrow."

There was a moment's silence as they simply enjoyed their dance together, and as the song came to an end, Hiroto allowed himself to embrace his adorable younger cousin. "When you release him, make sure you at least make it seem like he over-powered you."

Before Sakura could comment, perhaps even consider looking at Hiroto with a flabbergasted expression, suddenly someone cleared their throat, and both Haruno's turned to look at a taller male, his eyes glowing a warm amber color through his mask. "May I have this dance, Sakura-san?"

Hiroto looked from Sakura back to the male, who he knew to be Utakata. "If you will excuse me then." he smiled warmly towards them both, despite the pleading look that Sakura gave him -why wouldn't she want to dance with Utakata anyway? He seemed like a nice enough guy. "She's all yours, Utakata-san."

And then he was gone, leaving her in the dance floor with a slightly frustrated look on her face -had her motives been that obvious? Then again, Hiroto had always been particularly good at reading her. Furthermore, she was sure, clear as day, that her expression had said to _not _leave her alone with the Kiri-nin. Then again, despite her reluctance, she couldn't really refuse, could she? This was all part of the politics; she just had to suck it up and bear with it.

Utakata merely smiled, either unaware of her uneasiness or simply amused by it, as he took her hand in his and made it land on his shoulder, and then promptly put his hand at her waist. "That was quite a show, wasn't it?" he started conversation easily.

"I would hardly call it a show." Sakura could have scoffed. "My friends put their lives at risk." she scowled slightly.

"True, but no harm done, right?" the smile never left his face. "No blood has been spilled, thanks to you."

"They were Tsunade's orders, not mine." Sakura returned the smile, already seeing where Utakata was going -and she didn't like it, mind you.

"Maybe so, but it seems Sayuri, as I believe her to be, reacted to your presence more so than Tsunade's commands, or am I mistaken? Furthermore, you are the one who insisted Tsunade halt her shinobi."

The corner of Sakura's mouth twitched, her smile faltering for the slightest of seconds. "What are you implying, Utakata-san?" Although she remained friendly, her hand on his shoulder was just about ready to knock him out.

Utakata did not respond immediately, seemingly enjoying Sakura's uneasiness as he twirled her around several times. And then when he brought her back, he pulled her in much closer than before, _much closer than is normal_, his lips practically on her ear. "Her actions are indicative that you are held to a much higher standard than you previously led on, I believe."

Sakura's eyes widened slightly, not that Utakata could see it. "I repeat myself, what are you implying?" she allowed herself to seem unfazed, neither by his words or his actions.

"You know exactly what I'm implying, Sa-ku-ra." She didn't like the way he said her name, or the way his hand on her waist seemed to grip her just the slightest bit harder. "I knew there had to be a reason Saiken responded so favorably towards you." Did she mention she also didn't like the way that he was looking at her, now that they had pulled apart slightly and she was once again twirling?

Before any more words could be exchanged though, suddenly someone appeared beside them, and Sakura wasn't sure whether he had quite literally just appeared out of nowhere, or if he were that silent. He grabbed her, mid-spin, and suddenly Sakura found herself in the arms of another man. Her eyes shot up to her assailant, and once their eyes met Sakura had to muster up the strengths to not let out a gasp. Or a squeal. Or to not pass out right then and there, for that matter.

"Sorry, but I'll be taking her from you. I truly hope you don't mind." The man flashed Utakata a not so genuine smile, a slight threat filtering through his onyx orbs.

Utakata merely returned the less than happy smile, one akin to Sai's own. "Certainly not. As long as Sakura here doesn't mind, that is." And he appeared beside Sakura, a tentative arm around her hip seemingly possessive of her. Utakata didn't miss the way the unknown nin's index finger twitched in irritation at the lack of surname when speaking about Sakura.

Suddenly two pairs of eyes turned to Sakura (very briefly, might she add, for even before she had responded their eyes were back on each other), and Sakura could barely muster a "Hai." Regardless, it was funny that he was asking her permission now when he hadn't before. Pffft. Hypocrite.

"I guess you should release her then," he seemed to pause momentarily to look at his name tag (although he was already well aware of who this nin was), "Utakata-san"

"The song is over anyway; it wouldn't be fair of me to hog her all to myself, would it?" Utakata once again showed that half-assed smile, his arm reluctantly coming off of Sakura's hip.

"Certainly not." The two males stared at each other, both with charming and less than pleased smiles adorning their features.

"It was a pleasant dance, Sakura." Suddenly Utakata averted his gaze towards the pinkette. "Hopefully this won't be the last time I see you tonight. Goodbye."

And so, with one last lingering gaze to the tall and lean man who had just stolen his dance partner, as if taunting him with the way he addressed Sakura, he walked off, just as another song started playing.

And there Sakura was, trying desperately -and failing, to register the fact that here she was, suddenly dancing with Itachi. Yet, she did not let her mind linger on this, even if the place where his hand was resting on her hip felt as if it had caught on fire. "I thought you would have left by now," she paused to look at his name-tag, if only to distract herself from being overly conscious of where he was touching her and what he was doing, "Hiroto Takashima."

He either didn't know how to respond or simply didn't want to, and soon enough Sakura gave up on expecting an answer, which sucked, because now she had nothing to do or think and she was once again becoming very aware of his movements -of his lingering gaze on her, almost as if he was unashamed or uncaring about what he was doing. The thought made her cheeks flush (Kami she hoped he wouldn't notice, though she was sure he would -he noticed everything, after all), and she wondered what it was that Itachi wanted. And why had he even interrupted her dance with Utakata -clearly there wasn't anything extremely urgent to discuss, for he hadn't said a word to her, not one peep, since Utakata's departure. He hadn't said one word to her to begin with, _hadn't even asked her if she was okay with this, _for that matter...!

They didn't speak -only danced, and Sakura somehow found it fitting for him to be a graceful dancer, even spinning her and doing all sorts of dance moves that Sakura didn't even know she was capable of herself. "Do you truly plan on executing him?" Finally he spoke, nearly five whole minutes after they started dancing, and it was nearly enough to startle her out of her own frantic thoughts.

So this is what he had wanted. "The decision is not up to me." she stated, looking up slightly to peer into his masked gaze on her.

"But you do plan to lead the interrogation." he stated more so than asked.

"That's the plan..." They were so close, chests nearly colliding, and she found that she could barely peek her head past his shoulder, even on heels.

Apparently even he seemed to know her plan, and as their second song together ended, he holding her by the small of her back as she leaned back, he finally stared at her then, his Sharingan eyes activated for the slightest of moments as he looked at her, but they were gone nearly as quickly as they had come. He pulled her up, his lips hovering over the shell of her ear. "Arigatou"

Her eyes widened, even as the song subsequently ended and Itachi turned around, walking away.

But she wasn't ready to part ways, she decided, and even if he was already half-way up the flight of stairs, Sakura pushed herself past the crowd and followed him, yet again cursing heels for ever being invented.

And so she chased after him, knowing fully well that he knew that she was doing so, and she didn't even bat an eyelash at following him into a room, thoughts about it being some sort of trap not even in her brain. She saw him then, mask off and suit thrown aside on a random chair, the window to the room open, its curtains flapping in the wind, and he gazing at the country outside.

"Why did you guys attack Mei?"

Silence ensued, one so thick Sakura felt like she could cut it with a butter knife. Without any indication he turned around, his eyes once again Sharingan eyes. "An attempt to sabotage and prevent the Shinobi Nations from unifying under one."

"Why?"

"Because Akatsuki is not ready to wage a war on a global scale yet -not without these four Jinchuuriki still on the loose and having two members down."

"Two?" Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Pein has ordered a hit on Orochimaru for attacking your kinsmen."

Sakura's eyed widened, knowing this to mean Konan, but said nothing on the matter. "W-Who is Tobi?"

But Itachi's eyes narrowed at this. "You're asking too many questions, Sakura."

The way he said her name brought involuntary shivers to her spine, but she tried her best to ignore them, and especially not to show them, as she moved on. "Why won't you tell me?" her features turned into a slight scowl.

He didn't respond right away, as if he were mewling over his words and debating on whether or not he should answer her truthfully. "It is best you not know. You'd only be put in danger."

His statement made involuntary butterflies in her stomach. He wasn't telling her... because he cared? The implication seemed clear as day but Sakura either couldn't fathom such a thought, or didn't want to -it only ever made her heart ache thinking about her unrequited affections with Itachi. Already seeing the way her thoughts were going and wanting to stop herself before she began wallowing in her own self-pity, she changed the subject. "I wish to speak to Konan. Can you tell her that for me, please?" It was a tentative question, almost as if she shouldn't be asked at all.

There was a slight silence, almost as if Itachi were contemplating his answer. "I'll let her know."

Then Sakura chewed her lip, knowing that the conversation had died down, but wishing to say more. For Kami's sake, she hadn't seen Itachi now for what, an entire month? After their first confrontation, where she had told him the truth, and it made her nervous to think that he was now willingly standing here before her, conversing with her in what could almost be considered amiable terms. Suddenly, Itachi made a move to leave, to exit through the window, but Sakura's hands clenched in a tight ball -don't ask her why, but her heart couldn't take him leaving just quite yet, and as such, she muttered the first thing in her mind, the first thing she could think of that would stop him from leaving.

"Sasuke-kun wishes to see you..." it was but a whisper, but one he heard and made his heart instinctively clench.

Her words made him freeze, turning around slowly. He stared at her for a few seconds, making up his mind. No, he couldn't, he decided briskly. It was hard enough trying to remain objective while running around and having secret engagements with Sakura, after all. And so he made to turn around, ready to exit through the window without so much as another word.

But Sakura, as stubborn as she was, made to stop him "M-Matte! Itachi!" But as she was just inches away suddenly he turned around, and the next thing she knew she was pinned to the wall, Itachi hovering over her dangerously.

"Leave me alone." Although his tone sounded angry his eyes told a different story, she could tell. "For the sake of this Nation. Abandon all thoughts of me; I am not an ally you can approach so securely." The way she trusted him without question nearly angered him -how could she be so careless around such a man as him? Someone who had done unforgivable things in his years of living? She was too trusting, and it angered him to think that maybe she was the same way with other people. The same way with the likes of people like Utakata (just the thought made his grip on Sakura's wrists tighten ever so slightly).

"I can't..." her voice sounded nervous at first, "I won't." Sakura reaffirmed with conviction, once again not afraid to stare up at Itachi's Sharingan orbs, even as his tomoe spun dangerously. "I will never abandon you, for the sake of reuniting you with Sasuke, Mikoto and Saki, if nothing else."

"Even when I tried to kill you, you dare still approach me?" he expressed his confusion, though his eyes revealed nothing. "When you know -when you have seen what I've done?"

Sakura tried not to show the pain in her eyes as she recalled the memories -she was nearly positive she had failed, anyhow. "This isn't about me anymore, Itachi." she proclaimed. "You can hate me for all I care -try to kill me again and again. But you are a brother to Sasuke-kun, someone who gave up his entire innocence for his sake, and that I cannot turn away from. You deserve happiness too, Itachi..." her eyes softened as she looked up at him, still able to remember how much pain his eyes had held upon the supposed murder of Shisui.

"Happiness will come once I have paid for my sins." he merely stated, and although this stirred feelings within him, he dare not express them.

"You killed hundreds but saved thousands." Her emerald pools filled with compassion and something else, something akin to sympathy. "You carry a heavy burden and it is not your job to be the hero that has to face it alone." And it was true -Itachi had made the biggest sacrifice for his nation, given up nearly everything he had ever cherished, so why was he being punished for it after the fact?

"And it is not your job to try and save me from myself, Sakura." his tone was cold; condescending.

"But it is..." he heard her whisper but could make nothing of it. "Try as you will, you will not be able to stop me from caring, Itachi." Although hesitant, she allowed her hand to reach towards him, cupping his cheek in a somewhat affectionate manner, and it was nearly as shocking that he didn't pull away the moment they had skin on skin contact.

It shocked him, visibly this time, to hear her words -to feel the strongest urge to incline his head towards her hand and feel her warmth and accept her affection. But he tried to resist, desperately so in fact, but seeing Sakura's sad orbs made something tug at his heartstrings, and he found that he simply could not pull away from the hold she had on him. The words he wanted to say, he forced to remain trapped in his throat.

_I don't want you to stop caring..._

Seeing that it was okay, and although nervous to the bone, Sakura proceeded and brought Itachi's face closer to hers, their foreheads touching in an affectionate manner. "Please don't push me away. Don't push Sasuke-kun away... We only want to help you..."

But suddenly they heard footsteps, and Itachi turned his Sharingan orbs towards the door.

"Sakura?"

She turned towards the door to see Sasuke's figure emerge, and when she turned back Itachi was already gone. She stared at where he had been standing, her frown visible. She had been so close...

"Sakura?" Sasuke called out her name once more, wary, and this time Sakura's eyes snapped back towards Sasuke. "Are you okay? I saw you hurry off the dance floor and I got worried when you didn't come back."

With a sigh and one last look towards the window, she turned and walked towards the door. "I'm fine Sasuke-kun."

And although he questioned her seemingly disheartened appearance as she walked past him, he let the topic drop. Instead of following behind her, he entered the room, making his way towards the window and staring outside momentarily. What had Sakura been looking at, he couldn't help but wonder. He sighed, closing the window and turning to leave.

Had he been looking close enough, he probably would have been able to spot the glowing Sharingan eyes that loomed over the distance, atop the north wing of the building directly to the right of his position.

Itachi remained there in a squatting position for who knows how long, contemplating the events of the night. He wished he could have stayed, truthfully speaking. He wished he could have danced with Sakura and remained by her presence for at least a little bit longer. But no -he had to flee. No, not just because any second longer and Sasuke would have seen him, but because any second longer and he knew he wouldn't be able to hold it in; he wouldn't be able to stand looking at Sakura like that, for he would do something he would regret, he was sure. Something that was not part of the plan, (although logically speaking this was hardly part of the plan as it was) that would leave him hesitating in the future. And that he couldn't have.

His eyes bore through vast city the lay before him -a city he had killed many to protect.

* * *

Kisame didn't know how long he had been kneeling in his prison cell, all sorts of chakra restrictors and chains bearing down on him. Kisame could have laughed, honored that they deemed him so much of a threat to need all of these chakra limiters. It must have been early in the morning, four tops, he imagined, when he finally heard footsteps -the last guard, the female Haruno who's name he had picked up on, Sayuri, had mentioned that he would be meeting his interrogator soon.

Kisame could have laughed at this too -did they really think that they would be able to get any information out of him? He was a lot tougher than he looked -and he already looked tough, so that was saying something. He was also a lot smarter than he looked -granted, he was nowhere near the level of his prodigal partner, but he most definitely wasn't stupid.

He had been looking down, his head also restrained, when he heard the locks of his cell-door unlock, and the creaky door swing open. He saw feet, wearing kunoichi combat boots. So his interrogator was a girl, eh? She approached him, seemingly oblivious to how dangerous the man before her was. She grabbed a single key from her pocket, and undid only one restraint: the one holding his head down.

He was shocked at the sudden freedom he was given, and he looked up to see the kunoichi. "You're the Haruno brat." he nearly sputtered in shock, seeing the previously restrained pink hair now let down, reaching somewhere around her mid-back.

"Yes, the one who halted your execution. You'd think you'd be a little more grateful." she retorted.

But the Kiri-nin merely scoffed in return. "All you want me for is information -you wouldn't have done it otherwise or am I wrong?"

Sakura rolled her eyes, but said nothing more on the matter. "I'm the interrogator here, not you. I'll do the questioning."

"I won't spill." he declared.

But she ignored him, stepping out for a few short seconds and returning with a chair, which she sat herself down on, now eye-level to the shark -nin. "Why did you allow yourself to be caught?"

Kisame raised an eyebrow in question. "In case you need reminding, I was engaged in battle with five shinobi and had thirty others ready to jump in. I would hardly say I allowed myself to be defeated."

"You signed your own death warrant when you attacked so bluntly in front of several elite shinobi." Sakura didn't even bat an eyelash. "This leads me to believe that you went into battle knowing and accepting that you would lose; now this doesn't sound like something the fearsome Kisame Hoshigaki of the Bloody Mist would do, does it?"

Kisame scoffed yet again. "As if you know anything about me, brat." he retorted.

"More than I lead on." But even though Kisame looked at her questioningly, she didn't bother to elaborate. "So why did you do it?"

"I told you already, brat," he emphasized the rude remark yet again, "I was over-whelmed."

"The Tail-less Tailed Beast." Sakura proclaimed. "That is the nickname you have earned yourself over the years, is it not?"

"What's your point?" he huffed.

"There's no way you couldn't have gotten out alive if you really wanted to. No way you couldn't have killed Mei had you really been trying, and for you to try and tell me you couldn't makes me believe you think me an idiot."

Kisame made an irritated sound at the back of his throat. "Where's the questions about Akatsuki? About our plans? Our next target?" he asked, clearly irritated with her questions. "Above all else where's the torture? This isn't interrogation, this is an interview."

Sakura sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she stood up. She approached him yet again.

_'Here it is Kisame' _He mentally told himself, but got the shocker of the life time as he began to feel the restraints being lifted from him.

"This isn't the shark-nin I befriended."

In seemingly no time at all, Kisame was completely free, but still on his knees, watching as the kunoichi turned back around and sat back down. What did she mean "I befriended?" he hadn't met the kunoichi a day in her life, except for when he had gotten a glimpse of her when she was being attacked by Orochimaru all those weeks ago.

...Was this a new torture method? "What are you doing?" he stared blankly at her, his hands going to rub the tender spot on his wrist where he had been restrained.

"Come on, you're smarter than that Kisame. Looks like freedom, smells like freedom, tastes like freedom." her eyes watched his own beady white ones.

"...Why?" he stared dumb-founded at her, getting up slowly, but also wary for some sort of trap.

"I'm returning the favor." She stated, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "You saved my life once, many, many years ago."

His eyes widened at her statement, but he said nothing. '_No_...'

"Root members will be here any minute to disrupt my interrogation and take you to your sure death. I bought you all the time I could. I advice that you incapacitate me now and leave before they get here." she stated simply. "Try not to aim for the face though."

Kisame blinked. This kunoichi must be psycho -she had to be. There was no way she was the same kunoichi that he had met all those years ago. She was dead, after all -Itachi had told him so. She was a lot younger too -the kunoichi should be Itachi's age, but there was no way this kunoichi could be a day over twenty, if that.

"Tik Tok Kisame."

Indeed, he could hear footsteps approaching at in increasingly fast pace, and he decided; what the hell. Freedom was freedom, and it sure beat being killed. "My sword?" he questioned, eyeing her. His most prized possession, his Samehada, was locked up somewhere within this building, he was sure, and he simply could not leave without getting it back.

"If you continue down this hall to your left and pass three doors, you will come upon one with seals on it. I'm sure you're good enough to break them. Once you're inside, you'll find your Samehada with some more activation seals -these were done by our seals expert though, so I suggest you have Itachi crack these for you, lest you run out of time and they catch you before you escape."

Kisame didn't know whether she was stupid or just plain crazy, for letting him go and then telling him all this. Regardless, he had to go.

He muttered a quick "I'm sorry", despite his tremendous confusion, as he picked up the kunoichi by the throat and slammed her against the wall. And even though her eyes teared and blood pooled from the back of her head, she didn't seem to complain. And then a simple pressure point at the back of her neck, and she was down for the count, and in the next second he was gone, teleporting himself to said designation. Already he could sense the presence of at least three different shinobi, stealthily and quickly approaching -the kunoichi hadn't been lying, for within the next ten seconds three Root members were already attacking him, and it was all he could do to activate water dragons to buy him time. Three measly Root members would hardly be a problem, but he preferred not to kill them at this point in time, all things considering.

And as he summoned three water clones to keep the Root members busy, he concentrated on the sealed door -good thing he had learned something from Itachi, or he would be doomed. Within no time at all the door was unsealed and his Samehada in reach, just in time, for the Root members had disposed of his clones. And though the Root members braced themselves for a fight, suddenly Kisame was gone in a puddle of water, teleporting himself once again outside of the building and in the next second running towards the forests, away from Konoha. If he hurried they'd lose track of him before they even began their chase.

* * *

It was surprising, he had to admit, that he had actually escaped -that he was home free, for that matter (at the back of his mind, he faintly wondered what exactly "home" was though. He had just betrayed the last place he thought to be home, not that Madara was aware of it yet).

Suddenly a presence, one he hadn't sensed, from above, and he looked up, ready to attack, only to come face to face with Itachi. He was leaning on a branch of the tree, seemingly waiting with Kisame's Akatsuki cloak in his hand. Once he knew for sure that Kisame had sensed him, he merely let fall the cloak, straight into Kisame's awaiting hands, although he was still confused. Promptly afterwards, Itachi dropped down from the tree and effortlessly landed on his feet. "We should hurry. Konoha nin will be scouring the surrounding area any minute now." And, as if it had all been planned, and as if he knew that Kisame would be set free, he turned around and began walking away.

And maybe, just maybe, he had indeed known that Kisame would be set free. He ran slightly, catching up to his companion. "How long have you known?" he questioned, his eyes narrowed -because there simply was no way he hadn't known after all this.

Itachi did not respond for a while, but even so, Kisame did not lose hope -for once, Itachi would respond; he _would _get answers.

"Since the day of her escape with Orochimaru."

Kisame's eyes widened. He had known, all along in fact, that the very Sakura Haruno he had been pestering him about for the past month or so was indeed the same thirteen year-old from eleven years ago -his friend truly was unbelievable.

"How..."

"What we saw eleven years ago was the result of this kunoichi using a time-travel jutsu approximately six months ago." he allowed himself to glance at Kisame for the slightest of seconds before turning his attentions back on the road.

Were they not in danger of being caught by Konoha-nin, Kisame would have stopped and demanded a more elaborate and descriptive answer. "Such a jutsu exists?"

"I theorize it's specific to the Haruno bloodline, for I have not heard of such a technique in any of my studies."

Kisame did not reply for a while. "Why...?"

"An attempt to stop me from annihilating my clan, so she said."

"You've talked to her?" Kisame raised an eyebrow.

"On two different occasions. The day after her escape and yesterday, after your capture."

Why was this all news to Kisame!? Actually, he supposed he knew exactly why now. Itachi didn't want to drag Kisame into the chaos that the kunoichi was dragging him into -it was an attempt to save Kisame, he noted, and he admired the fact that Itachi had cared enough. Itachi had chosen his side, and didn't want Kisame to be forced to choose a side before he was ready -before he had made up his mind.

"So what we saw... What I met... was an eighteen year old in the body of a thirteen year-old?"

"Hn"

And it all started to make sense -her maturity level, her spooky knowledge of the distant future, the fact that he had never heard of a Haruno of ANBU caliber surviving such a massacre -why the hell she had been so skilled, even at such a young age.

But more importantly, where did that put them? Where did that put him? Clearly, what the kunoichi did for him was an act of kindness, a sort of debt re-paid for his acts of bravery years ago -but an act of treason to her own country as well. But Itachi? That was a different story. He conversed with the kunoichi -on multiple occasions. More than that, he had approached her with a seemingly lack of hesitancy or fear that she would attack or flee -almost as if he were an ally, dare he say it.

His eyes widened at the revelation "Itachi... you"

But Itachi glanced at him suddenly, enough to have Kisame shut up and look around warily -Itachi only ever got that glint in his eye when they were being followed, after all. "It's not safe to talk anymore."

Although curious and wanting to know everything there was to know about Sakura -the very same Sakura he had been talking about for the past month, he knew well enough that he had to bide his time. But it was fine -Kisame was a patient person. He had to be, or he was sure the years of having Itachi as a companion would have driven him mad.

And although he nodded and silence ensued between the duo, a thought struck Kisame. _'Could it be that Itachi still has feelings for this kunoichi?'_

**End of Chapter**

**Hi guys! It's been a while since the last update, and I truly apologize for it Ox Been a little busy**

**Anyway, the plot is slowly starting to unravel. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and the little ita x saku x uta i put in there ^-^ I couldn't not. Plus, it's been a little too long since I've had Ita x Saku fluff, so here it is readers :3**

**I don't know when the next update will be, truth be told. I'm already working on the next chapter but progress is slow. Expect at least a month or two.**

**I'm also working on more edits of Sakura's New Past, as well as a new installment on The Penis Game, since everyone has been asking for more there. Other than that, I'm going to try and start of New Sakura once more.**

**Thank you for your patience!**

**Comments? Critiques? Questions? Leave 'em all here!**

**Any and all reviews are much appreciated!**

**-MarzSpy**


	10. Choosing Sides

**Hi guys! Here with another chapter, a relatively early chapter considering how long it usually takes me to post new ones x) Reviews last chapter were pretty motivating so I thought I'd surprise you all with this little tid-bit =] Hope you all enjoy! ^_^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters in any way, shape, or form.**

**Chapter 10: Choosing Sides**

* * *

_"The plan failed."_

_Itachi's words, spoken through a hologram, echoed throughout the room of the Akatsuki lair._

_"How?" It was all Madara could say -all he could think as rage bubbled inside of him._

_"Kisame was found before we could attack properly. He did his best to fight them off but was out-numbered."_

_Madara nodded, understanding why Itachi never involved himself in the fight -it was futile, after all. The only way they would have been able to successfully accomplish this was if they managed to remain hidden from anyone. Itachi had the perk of blending in -Kisame did not. Once caught it would be impossible to defeat their opponents and kill the Mizukage. Truth be told, it was probably quite silly to send Kisame in his stead -what with Hyuga, Uchiha, and Haruno eyes more than likely guarding every entrance and exit. But he had had no choice, literally have no other ninja at his disposal._

_"Your orders?" Madara's thoughts were interrupted by Itachi's words._

_"...The roads will be heavily guarded tonight. Lay low and escape tomorrow when you see an opening."_

_"Hn"_

_And the hologram of Itachi was gone._

_'Tch' he thought angrily, standing up and walking away. It truly was unfortunate that Sasori had been defeated and Deidara lacked an arm -his team would have been best for this sort of altercation, after all._

* * *

_"Okaa-san, where are the bathrooms?"_

_Mikoto looked down to her youngest child, pausing from the conversation she had been engaging in with Hiroto. "I believe they're outside of the reception room." Mikoto pondered this. "Do you want me to go with you?"_

_Saki shook her head as she stood up. "I'll find it by myself, don't worry." And so Saki walked away, despite her mother's reluctance. She was a big girl, after all. She was a Genin, even at the age of eleven, and she was responsible and not to mention smart enough, to find the bathroom by herself._

_Mikoto made a motion to stand, as she spoke. "Gomen, Hiroto, I should accompany her."_

_"Mikoto, stop being a worry-wart." Hiroto teased, seeing Mikoto's apprehension in letting her baby girl go alone. "There's Konoha nin at every corner. Relax. I swear you coddle her too much."_

_Mikoto sighed, defeated, as she sat back down. "Can you blame me Hiroto?" You honestly -it was a mother's job to fret and worry over her children, after all. In addition, this was Saki, a child who, under normal circumstances, never would have existed, and it's thanks to Sakura that she was here. Although she was not one to show it, it had been stressful and near exhausting protecting this child, one wanted dead by Danzo and at threat from other nations, including the mysterious masked-man Sakura had fought during the massacre. Nevertheless, Hiroto was right. There were Leaf Shinobi at practically every corner of this place -and all were very much aware of Mikoto, and especially Saki's, presence. She would be perfectly fine -besides, Mikoto reasoned, it was just a quick run to the bathroom. She'd be back in no time at all._

* * *

_'Let's see... it was down this hall...' Saki, upon emerging from the bathroom stalls, began to retrace her steps back towards the ballroom. Truth be told, she had grown somewhat bored. She was one in a handful of children her age here, and anyone her Okaa-san or Hiroto had tried to introduce her to she had come to find were nothing but stuck up, entitled brats. They made her miss her teammates, as odd as that statement may seem._

_And to top matters off, she hadn't even come across her Sakura-oneesama yet! Even Sasuke-nii or Naruto-nii hadn't arrived yet, and she was starting to wonder if she would even be able to spend time with them._

_At least, Saki thought, she was able to come and experience a masquerade party. She had never seen such elegant dresses and intricate masks in her life, and there was something so exciting about having a hidden identity; about knowing that no one knew who you were._

_As this thought struck her, suddenly a low grumble emerged from her stomach, one that had Saki blushing in embarrassment, her eyes darting around frantically to make sure no one had heard her. She had almost forgotten about eating, what with the hustle and bustle of getting ready and then travelling here. So, with that thought in mind, Saki's eyes landed on what could be called a buffet table of assorted goodies, her mouth watering at the thought of trying some of its delicacies._

_She approached the table, quickly grabbing a plate and beginning to stuff it with all sorts of goodies._

_And then she saw it. The mother load._

_'C-Chocolate __F-Fountain...' Her eyes went wide as she approached it, its luscious, luscious milk chocolate pouring off of it in sweet, aroma-filled ravines that had her mouth watering more than before. Her eyes filled with determination. She **would **have some, or her name wasn't Saki Uchiha. _

_Yet, as she went to reach it, to dip some strawberries in it, she came upon a problem._

_She was too short._

_Even on her tippy toes, her hands could barely graze the sides of the fountain that held the chocolate._

_No. This wasn't fair._

_Saki frantically looked around for anyone she knew, perhaps Hiroto or Marika to aid her in her quest for chocolate, but she found none, a small pout appearing on her features. Suddenly, the strawberry that had been in her hands was plucked right from them, a taller male picking it up and doing what she had not been able to._

_"That seems rather inconvenient for you, doesn't it?" The man seemed to have a kind smile, his eyes glowing warmly from what she could tell._

_Saki grinned. "A-Arigatou..." she bowed humbly as the man dropped the now chocolate-drenched strawberry onto her plate._

_The man smiled in response. "Would you like some more?"_

_Saki blushed slightly. "I-If it's not too much to ask for... onegai..."_

_"Consider it done, Saki-san."_

_Saki widened her eyes. "H-How..."_

_"Name tags." as he said this, he pointed to his own, his statement blunt but not rude or condescending._

_"Oh... Of course!" Saki mentally slapped herself, her eyes dropping from the stranger's face to his elegant tux, searching for his own name tag. "Hiroto-san..." she paused at the name. "I have an uncle with that very same name!" She grinned, somehow feeling that this man was no longer so much of a stranger just from that mere fact._

_"How unlikely." he mused to himself._

_Saki nodded in response fervently. "He's actually my sensei too! He's tall and has dark hair like you, but he's kind of a goof. You seem... gentler." Saki couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about this man seemed very... put together. Very calm, almost as if no one and nothing could ever trump him. His demeanor seemed kind, a warm, fuzzy feeling filling Saki's tummy. Why, it felt like she hadn't met someone this pleasant in ages. And truth be told, it was weird how comfortable she felt around the man. __And why did it almost feel like she had even met him before? She knew there was no way she'd ever forget a man like that if she had ever crossed paths with him, but the longer she stared into his dark onyx pools, the more she felt she had seen them before._

_"Oh?" Hiroto raised an eyebrow. "And is he a good sensei?"_

_"Better than good." Saki beamed. "Plus, it doesn't hurt that Naruto-nii, Sasuke-nii, and Sakura-neesama always train me on the side too." She added with a little thought._

_'Sakura-neesama' He thought, almost amused if he were capable of the emotion. "Sakura-neesama?" he seemed intrigued by her name._

_Saki nodded fervently. "She's sooooo strong, and smart and kind and funny, and very very pretty too." Saki exclaimed. "She's not really my sister, but I wish she were."_

_Hiroto smiled. "She sounds like a wonderful person."_

_"She is. You should meet her." Saki exclaimed._

_"I would love to, but it seems for now that my companions are waiting for me. If you will excuse me; it has been a pleasure, Saki-san."_

_And so he gave her head a small pat and gave her a smile, one which sent a flush to Saki's cheeks, and moments later he was gone, eaten by the crowds._

* * *

There was an odd sort of beeping when Sakura finally came to. It took her a while to remember what had happened, but if there was one thing she was sure of, it was that Kisame had managed to get away. _'I'm glad...' _She thought to herself, as she thought back to her last interaction with Kisame. _'My debt to him is repaid, at least.' _She opened her eyes slowly, squinting as they accustomed to the bright light of the hospital room she currently resided in. After a few more seconds of thought, she was finally able to feel the slight, throbbing pain at the back of her head, and couldn't help the groan that escaped her lips.

She seemed to have attracted attention, and she turned to look at her bedside, where she could clearly identify Hiroto and Kakashi, both sitting, slightly slouching on chairs, one with a magazine and the other with an Icha Icha Paradise novel (one did not have to be a genius to know who was reading what).

"Glad to see you're conscious, Sakura." Kakashi hummed out, momentarily pausing and slapping his book shut to look at Sakura.

"Hai..." she grumbled slightly. "Is anyone suspicious?" Sakura ignored him, using her strengths to sit up slightly. It took some effort, and even though her body ached and her limbs protested sourly, she allowed herself to stretch and get the blood in her body pumping.

"Well, I don't think suspicious is the right word..." Kakashi hummed out, as if pondering Sakura's statement.

"Tsunade is livid." Hiroto emphasized. "Seems you can't fool her."

"Luckily for you, Sayuri was appointed the head investigator in the occurrence. Something about some malfunctioning chakra limitors, or the like, is the story we've gone with so far." Kakashi stated.

Sakura sighed in relief -she could have probably made it a bit more believable, she was sure, but she needed to make sure Kisame had enough time to break free and escape. "I suppose I should have told Tsunade beforehand."

"She probably wouldn't have agreed regardless even if you had." Hiroto shrugged.

"Probably not. But I should have done it anyway." Sakura acknowledged. "On the plus side, I think I made the right choice."

Hiroto raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?" He was genuinely interested to know Sakura's thought process -yes, he knew that Kisame had saved her in the past, but... well, simply put, the past was the past. Not to mention, Kisame hadn't even known it was her to begin with! Acting so recklessly could have gotten Sakura killed.

"Well, for one, he didn't kill me, which I would take as a good sign." Sakura chuckled ironically, knowing that she had said something similar to this when she had brought up her confrontation with Itachi just weeks prior.

Suddenly Kakashi, who had just begun to open up his book to read it again, stopped and put it down altogether. "He recognized you, then?"

"Iee. I heavily insinuated I was the kunoichi he saved in the past. He seemed like he didn't believe me, but he had to have some gut feeling that it really was me if he didn't kill me after all."

"Or maybe he was simply giving you the courtesy, seeing as you set him free and all." Hiroto shrugged.

"Yes, but when have missing-nin been known for being merciful and kind?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

Hiroto opened his mouth to speak, but could think of nothing as he pondered Sakura's words, so he shut them shortly afterwards. "So he must have believed you then. He's either very gullible or he has reason to believe you were telling the truth." Kakashi muttered.

"Well it's not like I should know about what happened in the past. Plus, regardless of the current age difference between myself and what my past-self should be now, our similarities are quite uncanny."

This, even Kakashi could not deny. Knowing both the past Sakura and the one now, he knew they looked identical and as such making that connection wouldn't be too unbelievable. "Well, never mind that." Kakashi mumbled. "At the end of the day, that can't be changed. Tsunade is expecting you when you're healthy."

Sakura could have groaned. "Wish me luck."

Hiroto let out a chuckle. "You dug your own grave Sakura-hime."

"I know, I know." She spoke as she swung her legs off the bed. "That doesn't mean it doesn't suck nonetheless."

* * *

It nearly seemed to Sakura that the tension lay thick between her and her mentor. She had been waiting patiently for her shishou to speak, to reprimand her for her carelessness and for not confiding in her beforehand, but it never came. Perhaps she was waiting for Sakura to start...? "A-Anno..."

Yet, Tsunade lifted her hand, halting Sakura from saying anything more.

And so Sakura waited, and waited, and waited some more, until it finally seemed that Tsunade was ready to speak to her.

"You know what you did was absolutely reckless, right?"

"Hai."

"Are you aware of the repercussions to your actions?"

"I know full well what I have done, Tsunade-shishou." Sakura confirmed with a nod.

"If Hoshigaki Kisame tells Akatsuki that you are the heir, there's no telling who'll come after you next."

"He won't tell." Sakura's fiery gaze did not waver as she stated this matter-of-factly.

"And how can you be so sure?"

"Because..." Sakura paused, chewing over her words. "Because he could have killed me, shishou. He could have killed me and fled, killed everyone who went after him, but he didn't. In addition, Itachi trusts him. It's enough for me to trust him too..."

Tsunade sighed, shaking her head in dismay. "You're making friends with the enemy, Sakura." Her tone was forewarning of the trouble that they may find themselves in were she ever to be reluctant about killing an Akatsuki member.

"Maybe that's the ultimate way of ending this war, Tsunade-shishou." Sakura stated matter-of-factly. "If they can destroy themselves from the inside out, that leaves us with fewer casualties in the long run."

Tsunade, who was about to speak, pursed her lips shut. Maybe Sakura had a point here. Yes, they had Itachi, and the other Haruno -what had her name been? And if they could include Kisame? That was nearly half of Akatsuki already! "Do you really think that is a feasible feat to strive for?" Tsunade questioned after much deliberation.

"I think the possibility is looking brighter, with the way things have developed now." Sakura admitted truthfully. She didn't know Akatsuki's main goal, but if Konan was the kind of person Sakura had perceived her to be, there was no way she could stand back and let things continue to unfold.

"I'm going to put my trust in you Sakura. Given, I don't have much of a choice now that Hoshigaki has already escaped. Now, if you will excuse me, I have an appointment with the Old Bags. Kami knows how long I'll have to sit there and hear them complain about how terrible I am at running a village and that now it's my fault a highly wanted S-Class criminal is once again on the loose." Tsunade could sigh in misery.

"Gomen, shishou..." Sakura bowed apologetically as her shishou stood to leave.

Tsunade sighed, staring at her student. "I can never stay mad at you for too long," she approached Sakura, putting an arm on her shoulder. "I'm just glad that you're safe. Please, at least tell me next time before you have me in a panic." Sakura looked up just then, staring at her mentor who was looking down at her with relieved, but tired eyes.

"Hai. I promise."

"Good." Tsunade seemed very relieved by her words -how could she not be, though? Sakura was like the daughter she had never had the opportunity of having, more so in this timeline than any other. "As a punishment, I expect you to be there for when Mei departs later on today."

"Consider it done Shishou." Sakura smiled warmly at her mentor.

She smiled back, before standing up. "Alright, I best be going, lest they add tardiness to their list of complaints." Sakura chuckled, but said nothing more as she walked out with her mentor.

* * *

"It truly is a shame that Kisame got away -nevertheless, I am glad to hear that you did not sustain any critical injuries, Haruno-san." Mei spoke with some sort of pity in her tone, but her smile was still as vibrant and Naruto-esque as ever.

"I thank you for your kind words. Nevertheless, the repercussions of my actions way down on me. There is once again a dangerous enemy on the loose."

"It can't be helped." Mei tried to cheer up Sakura, although she truly wasn't upset at all. "It wasn't your fault that the chakra restraints were malfunctioning; that being said, you're quite lucky to be alive."

"I guess that's a good way to look at it." Sakura sighed once more, knowing just by glancing at Tsunade, standing alongside her, that she was almost getting irritated by how everyone had sort of kissed Sakura's ass after the incident, while she had taken the fault for either Sakura's misconduct, or the supposed faulty equipment that had been used to detain Kisame. It nearly made Sakura want to snicker, truth be told.

"Alright, I guess we'll be off. Hopefully, it won't be too long before we all meet once more." Mei smiled.

"I second the notion." It was Utakata who spoke, although his hidden meaning and specific stare at Sakura was caught by none but her.

Mei seemed relieved by this statement -if they had Utakata's support and encouragement, perhaps it wouldn't be too hard to rally her people behind her too. And so, with one last goodbye, Tsunade, along with half of the Haruno Clan, namely Marika, Himawari, and Sakura, as well as Naruto and Team Gai, were left waving as Mei and her entourage departed. "Well this has been one hell of a week." Himawari whistled.

"I can't say I'm not glad they are leaving." Sakura was honest -Utakata gave her the creeps, and being under such scrutiny and apologizing glances was driving her crazy.

Tsunade laughed at this. "They'll be back soon enough to finalize our treaty, Sakura. Don't get too comfortable just yet." Sakura frowned and let out an exaggerated sigh, but said nothing more, as the group turned around and began walking away, Mei's group finally out of eye-sight.

* * *

"Itachi. Tell me." Kisame's eyes could have narrowed in irritation were it not Itachi he was dealing with.

"There is nothing to tell." Itachi glanced briefly at his blue companion, before averting his gaze elsewhere.

"You can't possibly expect me to believe that after everything that's happened these past few days." They were walking, idly making their way through the thick forested expanse around them, on their way towards the Akatsuki base. Kisame didn't care how paranoid Itachi was -he had checked and double checked and triple checked and even quadruple checked their surroundings. There was _no _way it wasn't safe to talk. No way Itachi couldn't spare a few moments to explain everything to Kisame. This was now Itachi avoiding the topic. "She saved my life Itachi. _Me._" he emphasized. Because no one, other than Itachi, had ever done that for him -no one had ever cared about him enough to go to such great lengths to betray their nation just to save him. "Furthermore, it's clear as day that you've been meeting with her -I know the other day wasn't your first and most definitely won't be your last."

But Itachi either didn't want to respond, or genuinely didn't know how to.

Because, truth be told, involving Kisame had never been part of the plan. He cared about his companion; he was the only friend he had had for the past eleven years of his life. As such, it was not fair to drag Kisame down with him. He had chosen his path, and he could not force this upon Kisame.

"Tell me something Itachi." It was a demand by now. So much so in fact, that he stopped walking all together. He would get his answers. _Now._

_What is your agenda?_

Itachi walked a few steps further before he too slowed and turned around. "I do not want my actions to influence your own."

"Is it not clear enough what path I have chosen?" The tension lay thick, Kisame looking down at the floor, clearly troubled. "You know perfectly well that I set myself up for failure. You know what path I chose. It is only fair you tell me yours."

"Is it not clear enough as is?"

Kisame's eyes widened as he returned his stare back to Itachi. So it was true. "You're a double agent."

Yet, Itachi shook his head. "I have no communication with Konoha figures. I act independently."

"Then why?" Kisame didn't even know what he was asking anymore. Why was Itachi betraying the Akatsuki cause? If Itachi still felt loyal to Konoha deep down inside, why had he even defected to begin with? Moreover, why had his behavior only begun changing once the Haruno had reappeared into their lives?

"I cannot answer that." Itachi looked away.

Kisame balled his hands into fists. What was he to do now? What would _they _do now? He was a ninja with no home -a shinobi with no path. "...What are we doing here?" His question, although seemingly random, brought him heartache. He had thought he was fighting for a better future for all the lands when he joined Akatsuki. But he turned his back on this goal of his in a heartbeat, turned his back on the ambitions he had been set on for the past eleven years in the blink of an eye. And why? For what greater reason? For Konoha and Kiri to be on friendly terms?

"I am protecting what I cherish most."

Kisame's eyes widened. Could that... could that perhaps be what he had been trying to do all along? It was clear to him now that he still cared for Kiri -his entire dream had been to end political corruption and bring truth and prosperity to a nation he had loved greatly in his younger years. Had he been going about this the wrong way? Had he been blinded by the path Madara had carved for him? But did this run deeper than that? The Haruno -even before he had known her to be the same one he had met years ago, he had felt the strong impulse to protect her. And why? It had been but a short time he had known her; why had he cared enough to even save her to begin with? When had he been known as compassionate and merciful?

Then again, he supposed the same exact thing could be said about Itachi, and as brutal and ruthless as people always painted him to be, Kisame had grown to see a much different story. He had learned so much more about his partner, a much more complex and compassionate and caring being than he would have first expected.

His being here, his having waited patiently for him was a testament of that. He had not left Kisame alone in his time of need.

And neither had the Haruno.

_'What is it that I cherish most?'_

* * *

Konan didn't know what to make of this. One minute she was walking down the hallway of the Akatsuki base, and the next second she was clearly caught up in a genjutsu, one she would never have noticed had the caster not changed the scenery, and there was only one person who could create such masterful genjutsus with ease.

"What is it now?" She was neither friendly nor distant, meant to inform Itachi that she was neither distrustful nor openly willing to listen to his every word. After all, just because he had given her good advice once didn't mean they were suddenly best friends. "I'm on my way to repairing Deidara's arm, don't take up too much of my time, lest someone notices."

Itachi did not reveal himself fully, although his voice rang from all corners of the genjutsu. "I bring word from Sakura."

Just these words were enough to have her heart pounding the slightest bit harder. "Is something wrong?" She was quick to ask.

"There will be a letter addressed to you in the same place we last spoke." Was all Itachi bothered to stay. He was about to dispel the genjutsu, but suddenly Konan spoke.

"Why are you helping me?"

"All is not as it seems. There is more to Madara's story than meets the eye." And then the genjutsu was dispelled and Konan once again found herself alone in the hallway of the Akatsuki base.

What had Itachi meant?

* * *

Konan swore this Uchiha was too secretive. It had been one sentence, and one sentence only, something that he could have easily told her when he had captured her in his first henge; but no, this man had devised a ploy. Hiding within a book, the very same book she had had open when she had seen Itachi last, a small letter tucked neatly within its confines, in between the very same pages she had been reading -how had he even remembered that? You know what, she didn't even care to know, she decided. Yet, it didn't end here. Upon touching said letter, she was hurled into another henge, one which neither sent her in a panic nor made her feel threatened, for, the more she thought about it, the more she realized this was so typical of the Uchiha.

Then again, it was better to be extremely precarious than not, Konan decided, especially upon the thought that this involved her clan, her very own heir, enemy of her organization, and enemy of her true leader.

The henge unfolded, another all-white setting as an Itachi clone emerged from the floor, casting a shadow over it. Konan did not speak, only waited patiently for the clone to completely form in front of her. Once it did, it got straight to the point. "Sakura came to me during our mission." He began frankly, letting the information sink in. There was a slight pause, and then he continued. "She wishes to meet with you. There are things she would like to discuss."

Things, Konan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. What sort of things?

Frankly, she didn't know what to make of this, added on to Itachi's previous statement.

_There is more to Madara's story than meets the eye_

Konan's eyes narrowed angrily, the henge suddenly dispelled and in her hand nothing but a blank piece of paper. She crumpled it up, and it no sooner caught on fire, burning everything in sight. She knew Madara couldn't be trusted -she had told Nagato the very same many a times. But now she had confirmation -Itachi himself had told her. Not that he was her biggest ally, but they did have one common goal.

To protect her clan. To protect Sakura.

Konan began walking away, exiting the study room and disappearing moments later.

What was Madara's agenda? Did Itachi know?

Nevertheless, she had a feeling that whatever it was, it meant great danger for Nagato, a thought that bubbled rage inside of her. She had to speak with him. She needed to know what was going on. But first and foremost, her heir wished to ask her some questions; truth be told, she wanted to ask questions too.

What to do, what to do...?

* * *

"Kisame-senpai! You're alive!" Nearly as soon as Kisame had entered the entrance of the make-shift kitchen and living room, he had been jumped on by his self-proclaimed kohai, a man (more like boy, Kisame couldn't help but scoff) with a swirly orange mask. "Itachi-senpai had informed Leader-sama that you had gotten captured! I was almost positive I would never have seen you again!" Tobi seemed devastated, clinging on to his senpai even as Kisame desperately tried to pry him off.

"Pipe down, will you? It's been a rough journey."

Tobi seemed instantly regretful, jumping off of the nin and bowing repeatedly, a form of apologizing. "I just missed Kisame-senpai so much! How did you manage to escape? Surely you did some super cool surprise attack, right? You got caught on purpose, right? Or did Itachi-senpai help you escape? It was that, wasn't it? You guys came in together, right? That means you guys must have left the Fire Nation together, right? Right? Right, right?!"

Kisame bypassed the nin as he made his way to the kitchen, sighing in dismay once he realized that Tobi would not give up until he gave the boy an answer. He was like a boy who had just snorted sugar laced with crack, he swore. As such, he shrugged, almost casually. "They messed up, is all. I saw an opportunity so I took it."

"They messed up? So you mean to tell me Itachi-senpai didn't help you escape?" Tobi repeated in incredulous question.

"Hai Tobi. We met up by pure coincidence." He swore he was talking to a child.

"But I heard Konoha-nin were really strong right now and stuff. How did you manage to escape?"

Once again, Kisame shrugged his shoulders, attempting to bypass the nin once more, after obtaining a glass of water. "I don't know Tobi. It could have been a fluke for all I know. But I reckon they're not all that strong if I managed to get out alive, right?"

"Zugoi. Kisame-senpai is so cool! I have to go tell Deidara-senpai!" And in the blink of an eye he was gone, off to find Deidara, wherever in the hell he might be, Kisame couldn't help but think. But whatever -he didn't particularly care; he was just glad to get the obnoxious nin off from under his skin. He had had a long past couple of days, and he wanted nothing more than to relax, lay down, and give himself time to think over the events of the recent past, and above all else what to make of this new-found information.

_Itachi was a fraud_

_A kunoichi he had long-since thought dead was actually alive all along_

_And she traveled to the past, apparently_

_And she had saved his life_

He swore that if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, and had it been anyone other than Itachi that had told him this, he would have never believed it. It was too bizarre to believe, after all.

And suddenly, a thought struck him.

The kunoichi had known what he would eventually become, knew that he would be in an organization after her best friend's head, and had still let him live. He had been injured, caught off guard, and vulnerable, and she had healed him and protected him and let him go.

She was either a genius or the biggest fool he had ever met. What had her agenda been? Perhaps to use him as leverage in the future? No, she didn't seem like that kind of person. And to begin with, the only person that had gained anything from their relationship had been him -she said that he owed him one, but truth be told, it was him he owed her now.

With a sigh, he tossed himself on his bed, finally entering his bedroom, and placed a pillow over his head. This was all just a headache -he understood now why Itachi had been trying to keep him out of this.

* * *

"Pein"

If he heard her, he didn't make any indication of it, but Konan knew better -nothing got past him. He was at the highest peak of his city, his feet precariously swaying off the cliff of the mountain, staring at the never-ending rain, his eyes boring into the vast expanse before him. It was the one place that set Pein's mind at ease, staring out at his nation -his people, and Konan knew she would find him here, especially because of recent events. It was clear as day to her that Pein must have sensed that something was amiss too.

"I ask for some time of leave."

Pein did not respond immediately, waiting several moments before he slowly turned his head towards her and acknowledged her. There was only ever one reason for her to ask for a time of leave -in fact, it had only ever happened once or twice before hand, many many years ago. Pein was no fool to know that Konan's family was on the other side of the war, but he wouldn't bat an eyelash at questioning her loyalty to him. She was family, after all.

Yet, it did concern him that the climax of this war was approaching, much sooner than he had expected it to, and he knew eventually this would put Konan at a crossroad. He knew the day would come, but had never allowed his mind to linger on it for too long.

But they were running out of time, truth be told, and it wasn't something that could be put off much longer.

"Go". It sounded like a demand but Konan knew better.

And even though no more words were spoken and Konan promptly turned around and left, Pein watched her retreating figure with hidden turmoil burning his insides, almost as if this would be the last time he would see her -because it could possibly be that way.

He was asking her to choose him over her family -asking to choose a life of crime over one of peace and tranquility. And if she chose the latter, chances were he would never see her again as an ally to his cause. He was selfish for asking this, he knew -but without Konan he was a man with an empty purpose. Sure he was doing this for his people, but more than anything, he was doing this for Konan, to see her smile and no longer having to worry over a nation she had grown to love.

Ironically, she was doing this for him too.

Because it had been too long, and she had grown to care for this man too much to back down now. They were in this together -they always had been.

* * *

It had been about two days since Mei's departure, and things had more or less gone back to normal. For the first time in what felt like years, Sakura had clocked in to work at the hospital -now that she thought about it, she hadn't even gotten one day of work since her arrival at this timeline. Then again, if you ask Sakura, this wasn't entirely a bad thing; this proved that she had been too busy. She had made changes to this timeline, and was busy because of them.

And it was on this day, particularly on her lunch break, that Sakura so happened to be approached by a little slug, no doubt a summon from Tsunade. "Sakura-sama, Tsunade-sama wishes to see you in her office for a mission description."

Although not entirely surprised, Sakura couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Was this perhaps about Kumo? It would make sense -they were already allied to Suna, and Kiri was well on its way, so the next feasible option would be Kumo, in order to once and for all unite all the Jinchuuriki under one. "Right now, or after my shift is over?"

"Tsunade-sama has already made arrangements to have your shifts covered." The little slug explained.

Sakura couldn't help but notice the plural ending in the word -an extended mission. "I'll be right over."

With one last thank you and a bow, the slug disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sakura waited a minute or so, indulging in this silence, before she finished her sandwich and clocked out of work.

Truth be told, Tsunade had told her to not even bother with work for now and to just rest, but Sakura had to do something -she needed to be kept busy, or the events of the previous week would drive her mad. No, not the events pertaining to Kisame, but the events pertaining to Itachi.

He had danced with her.

He had held her in his arms, intimately so, one hand on her waist and the other engulfing her smaller hand. If she thought hard enough the very parts he had made contact with felt like they were on fire, truth be told.

Did this mean anything to him? He had been so calm -so collected it could almost be irritating, the way he could just steal her from someone as if it was his _right, _and not reveal anything to her about him or his feelings. Then again, it wasn't like he had ever been keen on doing that anyway, even in the past.

As she thought, her feet carried her to her destination, and it wasn't until she spotted long, luscious hair and ivory orbs that she was finally snapped out of her thoughts. "Neji-san?"

Neji turned his head, having not noticed Sakura until she had spoken (she was rather short, after all). He looked at her and nodded, a sort of greeting to acknowledge her presence. "Are you here to see Tsunade-sama?" he questioned.

"Hai." Sakura nodded, her head shifting to her left in confusion -missions with Neji were few and far in between. In fact, from what she knew, Sakura herself was usually only ever accompanied by her former Team 7, Kakashi being the only one aware of her status as Haruno Clan heir, and her boys already extremely protective of her. And that was the sole reason -for her protection. Besides, who's going to notice a pink-haired girl when standing before one of the last remaining Uchiha, the 9-Tailed-Beast for crying out loud, and the highly esteemed Copy Cat Nin? No one, that's who.

Sakura was snapped out of her thoughts when suddenly someone else called her name.

"Sakura" And she turned to look, only to be met with a familiar face.

"Sasuke-kun." she greeted with a smile, waiting until the male figure approached her and Neji. "No Naruto?" she raised an eyebrow.

Sasuke simply shook his head. "I was with him when I was called in. Tsunade has strict orders to keep him in Konoha for the time being."

"Understandable, considering Akatsuki's attack last week." Neji responded briefly.

"He's not going to be happy about this." Sakura frowned distastefully. Not only was he confined to Konoha, but his two teammates were being sent off to a mission without him.

"He'll live." Sasuke couldn't help but roll his eyes.

And just as he said this, the door to Tsunade's office opened, Shizune appearing with TonTon in her hands. "Tsunade will see you three now."

The three shinobi looked at each other one last time, almost as if asking _Do you have any clue what this could be about? _before they went in.

* * *

"Before you ask, no, this isn't about Kumo."

It was the first thing Tsunade had stated, catching Sakura off. "What?" It only made sense. Two treaties were already successful -it was best to complete their treaties before Akatsuki struck again.

"As you two are aware," she directed her attention to Sasuke and Sakura, "part of the treaty with Suna included a medical exchange program." she began.

Sakura visibly slumped in disappointment. "Shishou, that's beginner work." she frowned.

"Nevertheless, I want you there." Tsunade shook her head, and then directed her attention to Neji and Sasuke. "In addition, we promised to help boost relations by combat exercises and the like. This is where you two come in."

"No offense Tsunade-sama, but Sakura kind of has a point. This sounds like busy work." Sasuke stated.

"It may be tedious, but it does not make it busy work. It is crucial we show our best to Suna, not so much for their Kazekage, but for their Elders. We promised them lavish treatment and the best of the best -who more than our future Head Medic, our very own Uchiha heir, and one of the Hyuga's most elite members?"

"And why not Shizune? Why not Hiashi or Shikaku?" Sakura frowned. "You should put us where we are needed most, Tsunade-shishou. We have yet to make contact with Kumo, Kami knows how long it'll be before Akatsuki strike there too."

In response, Tsunade merely shook her head. "Shizune is currently busy with other things I have tasked upon her and it would be rude of me to demand anything of the Clan leaders without at least a month's worth of notice -you all know how Hiashi can be, no offense to you Neji. In addition, we have two treaties underway as it is. We do not want to spread ourselves too thin." She began. "In addition, relations with Kumo aren't strained -if anything, we're already on well enough terms. An alliance with them will not be difficult -the same could not be said for the latter."

Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but could find nothing to counter Tsunade's logic -it made sense, after all.

"How long will the duration of this mission be?" It was Neji who spoke.

"It'll be a two week mission. I am making this a rotational project. You will all leave once Shizune, Shikamaru, and Shino take your places respectively. But do not misunderstand -this is not a solo mission. You must all work together to make sure no program falls behind. Within the day of your arrival, you will be approached by Suna nin and be given a list of names -people who will be participating in the given programs on Suna's behalf. The following day, a wave of Konoha nin will arrive," and as she said this, she tossed each of them a file, "who will also be participating. You will do somewhat of a switch. Although the point of this exercise is to learn to work together and boost relations, the majority of your students will be Suna, and vice versa. Included in these files I just handed you are curriculum Gaara and I have established we want taught. It is the itinerary for the courses, essentially. Follow this timeline to the best of your abilities, but do note that it is a very rough sketch and we don't exactly know how much time it'll take to teach what. You guys are the rough draft, being the first batch of students and captains being sent respectively. That is why I specifically chose you three, as I am sure you are all aware that you are potential candidates for a future Hokage-ship. Think of this as a test of sorts."

Silence filled the room as their mission objective sunk in, nevermind the whole "Hokage-ship" thing. That had been established long ago. Although Tsunade didn't look it, she was getting old, and could hardly care for being Hokage for another twenty years -she just wanted to gamble her life away. As such, she had taken on a lot of six potential candidates to follow in her stead -Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, Neji, Marika, and Shikamaru. Of course, only two of the bunch actually cared for the position; still, it was important to learn nonetheless, in case things took a turn for the worst. "Are there any more questions?" Upon hearing nothing, Tsunade nodded her head. "Good. You guys leave today. I'm assigning Neji as leader. You guys are excused."

All three of them exited the office, meeting briefly outside of the Hokage's building to establish a time and place to meet. "Let's meet by nighttime at the front gates. If we make good time we'll make it in two days in the morning if we work through a majority of the night."

Although Sakura wanted to grimace, she nodded and said nothing more -it had been so long since she had gone on missions with Neji that she had forgotten that he could be a slave driver without even knowing it. Then again, it couldn't be too bad -missions with Itachi had probably been worse.

They bid their goodbyes, Neji walking away, and Sakura and Sasuke were left to walk home together in relative ease. "I can't believe we're going back after having just left from there." Sakura sighed.

Sasuke peered at her for a few seconds, before focusing his attention back on the road. "Although I don't particularly like it, Tsunade's logic is sound."

"I know." she frowned. "I just... I feel like we should be doing something else, you know? I come back from the past with loads of knowledge, you'd think we'd use this to our advantage to get shit done before Akatsuki can see it coming." Sakura sighed bitterly.

Sasuke put a comforting hand on Sakura's shoulder. "You've done a wonderful job as things stand now, Sakura. Take this as a vacation of sorts. You need it."

And although it was true, Sakura didn't want to accept it. Things weren't nearly the way she wanted them to be. Then again, she probably had unrealistic expectations, and she was biased anyway. "I appreciate your words, Sasuke-kun."

No more words were spoken between the two until they reached the Haruno Compound. Mikoto greeted them with her kind smile as always, and after words were exchanged and their mission explained to Mikoto, they both dismissed themselves into their respective rooms to pack and rest up for the mission later on that day.

* * *

Upon entering her room, Sakura immediately tossed herself on her bed -never mind the mission, she was glad she now officially had time off work. It had been an unusually exhausting day, but she didn't know if this was because she hadn't been there in so long, or because there genuinely seemed to be more patients than she last remembered there to be.

_'Is this really for the best?' _Her thoughts were disrupted by a sudden blue glow coming from her nightstand. _'Matsuro-sama?' _Sakura crawled to her night table and pulled out the ancient scroll_. _She hadn't spoken to her Fate God since her capture by Orochimaru, if she remembered correctly. She opened up the scroll and almost immediately she was taken to a familiar all white scene, Matsuro appearing before her relatively quickly.

_My child, _she greeted with a smile. _I am glad to see you are safe_

Sakura smiled. _"Matsuro-sama. It's good to see you again." _

Matsuro approached Sakura and sat down beside her. _I feel you are worried about this mission._

Sakura nodded. _"I feel we should be trying to form more alliances. She should be sending me to Kumo, not Suna." _Sakura explained.

There was silence, almost as if Matsuro was trying her best to formulate words. _I believe this to be the best course of action for you, my dear._

_"But why?" _Sakura asked.

_You should lay low for a while, Sakura. You are still the heir, after all. Orochimaru has identified you as such, and so has Mei. If we are not careful, your secret will be revealed much too early. We should keep you away from the spotlight for a while. Travelling to Suna will be good for you._

Sakura didn't understand it. Why did it even matter if people knew she was the heir now? She was 18 -old enough to fend for herself. She was no longer a Genin -if that were the case things would be different. But she was strong -she could hold her own against Akatsuki, so what was the big deal?

Almost as if reading her thoughts, Matsuro answered. _Sakura, my child. There are certain things you have yet to realize. They'll be explained to you in time. But for now, trust in Tsunade._

_"I know..." _Regardless, it wasn't like she had a say in this anyway. She owed this much to Tsunade -and then some, if she were honest.

_In other news, there is someone approaching. Kaede._

_"Kaede?" _Sakura's eyes widened. _"Is she here?"_

_Not yet. Soon. She'll arrive by nightfall. You asked for her, did you not?_

Sakura nodded in response -Itachi really had passed on her message. Kami, it was hard to understand that man. He says not to trust him but then he turns around and does this. _"Arigatou Matsuro-sama."_

But onto more pressing matters, Kaede was coming -or as she knew her to be, Konan.

She knew she had specifically wanted to speak to Konan, sought her out even, but now that the opportunity was actually presented upon her...

What exactly would she say?

* * *

By the time Konan had arrived in Konoha, the sun was setting, just about gone over the Hokage monuments.

She hadn't been here in about eleven years, she reckoned. She didn't know where exactly to look for her heir, but she imagined the Haruno Compound was her safest bet. Sneaking into the village was fairly easy, and after five minutes of travelling she found herself at the main household -a place she had lived in for a very short duration.

With her chakra still well hidden, she approached the compound -she could feel chakra signatures, and none of them did she want to alert, after all. She noticed that the back yard that slowly turned into a forest was filled with cherry blossoms -the perfect spot for her to remain hidden. And so she made her way there, going deep into the cherry blossom tree'd expanse until she came upon a rather large one. She placed a palm there, closing her eyes, and allowed a pulse of chakra to be sent directly into the tree.

Sakura would no doubt know it was her.

It didn't take long -by the time Sakura had arrived, the sun had all but gone, and she was leaning casually at the base of the tree.

"Konan" she greeted.

"Sakura-sama." Konan gave a bow, as was respectful. "I received word that you wished to see me..." she trailed off.

Sakura nodded. "Did Itachi relay that message to you?" she asked.

"Hai" she gave a curt nod, not entirely sure why it was Sakura was asking that of all things.

Sakura approached Konan, a smile on her face. "It's nice to see you are doing well. I never got to properly thank you for releasing me from Orochimaru."

"If this is why you called me, there is no need to thank me Sakura-sama. I simply did what I had to do." Konan shook her head fervently.

Sakura's smile wavered slightly. "I wish that was all I had to discuss with you..." It was silent, Konan simply staring at Sakura while she searched for a way to say this, turning to face away from Konan as she pondered her words. "Do you remember what I told you the very first time I met you, eleven years ago?"

Konan swallowed the lump in her throat. "You told me to choose between Nagato and Yahiko, and you." Konan had never forgotten.

"Is your answer still the same?" It was silent in the small clearing, Sakura finally turning around to face Konan. "You know why I ask. War is looming just over the horizon, Konan. And although I trust you fully I can't help but question Akatsuki's true motives. This doesn't sound like the peace you and Nagato envisioned."

Yet, Konan remained silent, not exactly knowing what to say. At this, Sakura came closer, gripping Konan's hands into her own. "Please Konan, help me understand. If peace is what you are really seeking, why are you trying to prevent us from unifying under one peacefully? Tensions in Suna have all bone dissipated -we're even making great efforts to erase the bad blood between Konoha and Kirigakure. So why...? Why destroy everything we are trying to accomplish?"

It was then that Konan finally looked up at Sakura, her eyes expressing an inner turmoil Sakura would have never expected. "I sincerely don't know anymore, Sakura-sama..."

"All Nagato and I have ever wanted was a more prosperous future for Amegakure, and eventually all of the Shinobi Lands." She began bitterly. "Somewhere along the line, we lost sight not of our purpose, but of the way to achieve this. He's been tainted, Sakura-sama."

"What is his goal, Konan?" she didn't honestly expect an answer -she was essentially asking the motivations behind the foundation of Akatsuki, a question that had remained a mystery since the very beginning.

But, Konan opened her mouth nonetheless and spoke. "To capture all 9 Tailed Beasts and use their power to not only blackmail the villages, but to erase all corruption as well. He would make himself sovereign over all -King of the Shinobi Lands..." she muttered with a frown. "This hadn't been our goal at first. But with our cause and Nagato's strength came unwanted knowledge and power -now I hardly know what our true aims are." She waited a moment before she spoke again. "...But no matter what he does, there's no possible way I can leave his side... not after everything that we've been through." She looked at Sakura then, her eyes earnestly showing hurt and confusion, and it made Sakura understand.

_She loved him._

And because of this, she could not judge her one bit. After all, she had betrayed her own nation because of her feelings for Itachi. She should have killed him -could have any moment he had his guard down. But she hadn't. She wouldn't, even now, and she knew it to have nothing to do with his ultimate innocence or because it would hurt Sasuke or Mikoto.

"I understand Pein's reasons for having founded his organization, Konan." Sakura began. "What better way to make people follow you than through fear -I get that. But if you look around you Konan, you will see many people already fighting for that very same cause. Look at Mei. Gaara. Tsunade. Three Kages trying to establish friendly relations in order to spread an era of peace and prosperity, without the tactics of fear. And even though it seems far-fetched and nearly impossible... isn't it at least worth trying for?"

"Corruption will never end that way." Konan stated.

"Neither will it through fear tactics." Sakura shook her head. "Matsuro-sama teaches us that all life is precious and that we create our own destinies. You would be ripping this away from everyone -and without our freedom to choose, we won't even be humans anymore. I implore you to speak to Pein. To help him understand that this is not the answer."

"...I fear that even if Nagato understood this, we wouldn't be able to stop." She stated hesitantly, a single person in mind.

"What do you mean?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

But Konan shook her head. "I have said too much as it is. All is not as it seems at the base, Sakura-sama. I have heard you out. Please be patient and buy me time. I will try and get Pein to see the error of his ways."

"I sincerely hope you do Konan. For everyone's sake. I have seen what this war will do to the Lands." Sakura stated. "Devastation and chaos of this proportion should never exist."

"I understand, Sakura-sama." It was quiet between the two Haruno's as the information sunk in. "I should be going now, lest someone starts looking for you and wanders in this forest."

Sakura nodded her head, and watched Konan walk away slowly, sorrow filling Sakura's orbs.

Konan's mission was not easy.

But she had said what she needed to, and she could only hope that Konan followed her heart and made the right decisions.

For now, she had a mission to start. Sakura quickly returned to the household, gathering up her belongings and swinging by Sasuke's room. Before she could even knock, he opened her the slide door, backpack ready. No words were spoken between the two of them, although they spent their time bidding Mikoto and Saki goodbye, before they went towards the Konoha gates, Neji already there waiting patiently.

"Good, let's head out." Neji muttered, not even greeting them.

Alas, the Hyuga was bound to his ways.

**End of Chapter**

**A/N: The strong feeling that Saki had met Itachi before comes from the Prelogue, when Saki had activated her Sharingan as a newborn and seen Itachi, for those of you who didn't catch that =]**

**So, the plot is slowly starting to unravel itself. Soon enough I will also start unraveling the continued mysteries of the Haruno Clan, in particular the one known as Kikyou ^_^ That's right, Inner =D Trust me, you guys are going to love it ^.^**

**As I have stated before, if there are any flashbacks you guys may want me to incorporate, please do not hesitate to let me know! No one has mentioned anything on the matter :'c**

**On another note, this may be kind of sudden (and by no means will it be coming up any time soon) but I wanted to know if you guys wanted a lemon(s) in the story. It's up to you guys really -i can post it under its own separate story if you'd prefer that too. Let me know your thoughts Ox**

**Anyway, questions, comments, concerns, critiques? Drop a review and I'll be sure to get back to you ^_^**

**-MarzSpy**

**P.S. Check my profile to see soon-to-come updates and the like. I know it's been forever since I've done that but I'll try to pick that up again, thank you!**


	11. Sunagakure

**Heyoo, here with another chapter! More info will be after the chapter =] For now, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters in any way, shape, or form**

**Chapter 11: Sunagakure**

**Note: The first flashback in here is set during the Chunin Exams Pt. 2, just to sort of elaborate how the attack on Konoha by Suna/Orochimaru went down, in case anyone was curious =] Specifically, it's when Sasuke is defeated by Gaara in the woods and Sakura and Naruto show up.**

* * *

_"DIE, UCHIHA SASUKE!"_

_Sakura's eyes widened, seeing Gaara, half man half beast, dashing towards Sasuke, who was already down on the ground in pain. Granted, he had already taken a fair beating from Gaara, who was trying to finish off the job._

_She didn't know what drove her to do it, but she rushed in front of him, shielding him from Gaara's deadly attack. Actually, she lied. She knew exactly what led her to do this. Sasuke was her brother, the very person who saved her from who she knew to be Orochimaru now, just a month or two ago. Although she had been too injured and too doted over to continue her chance at the Chunin Exams, the remainder of her team had won their preliminaries. She owed Sasuke this much; he had risked his life for her, and she was no one to not dare do the same._

_Gaara's eyes seemed to widen, and he instead focused his attention on Sakura, grabbing her with his monstrous hand and slamming her against a tree. She felt the blood ooze from the back of her head but she bit back the tears, looking on fearfully at Gaara. She could see the confusion in his eyes, the rage and blood lust, but deeper in them she saw something else._

**_Pain_**

_He stared fixedly at her, not making a move even as Naruto tensed up, not knowing what he could do to help Sasuke and Sakura._

_"Gaara, please... it doesn't have to be like this..." she whispered, her hands trembling and her eyes watering. "Don't do this..."_

_A growl was emitted from Gaara's throat but whether it was he in control or not, Sakura couldn't tell. "Shut up. You don't know anything." The grasp on Sakura tightened, enough to have her yelp in pain._

_"Sakura-chan!" Naruto took a nervous step toward her, but even just that one foot made Gaara look threateningly at Naruto, his Sand tail expanding and pushing Naruto back, further away from where he and Sakura currently were. With a powerful thrash, of the tail, he was successfully knocked unconscious, his head hitting hard against a tree. Gaara's eyes were back on her in a moments notice, his hand tightening even more, causing Sakura to flinch in pain._

**_Stop it. That's enough._**

_A voice not his own rippled through his body, and he suddenly found himself within the innermost recesses of his mind. 'Shukaku' He thought on with fright -the very same monster that got him in this predicament. The reason why he had to hurt all of these people -the reason why no one would ever love him._

**_If you would concentrate and control the anger inside of you, you will notice I am not the one doing this. _**

_He heard the monster, but didn't believe it. How could he not be in control?_

**_Kid, we didn't choose this contract. But we need to work together; for both of our survival. Just listen to me. _**_Shukaku tried to explain. Truth be told, he had released the reigns on Gaara long ago. Gaara just hadn't learned to control the blood lust that was part of being a Jinchuuriki._

_'Why should I listen to you.' __Gaara sneered. 'This is all your fault.'_

**_I'm not without fault, I will admit. But this is beyond us. I can help you understand, but please... the girl; release her._**

_There was something nearly ironic about the fact that his own demon was telling him, pleading him not to harm her when it had always been him to cause others pain because of it. And it repulsed him and made him want to lash out at him as a form of vengeance, his grip on Sakura tightening even more to show his rebellion. It earned another screech from her, but he paid it no mind, too lost in his own thoughts._

**_You know who she is. Look at her. Remember._**

_'No...' he howled, shaking his head ignorantly -he would not let Shukaku control him any longer. He was done being manipulated._

**_LOOK AT HER. _**_Shukaku's voice boomed, making Gaara's eyes widen, just as Sakura let out another yelp, his grip on her nearly bone-crushing, sneering at Gaara's thought of being manipulated. Yes, he was being manipulated -but not by his inner demon, and it was up to Shukaku to help him realize this._

_"Gaara, you're better than this... please... You're not a monster..."_

_"Sakura..." He could hear the low groan of the Uchiha on the floor as he struggled to get up, and something within him snapped, even as his sand pressed the Uchiha harshly to the ground, officially rendering Sakura's last remaining teammate unconscious as well._

"Gaara, you're not a monster, and don't let people convince you otherwise. You're a great person, and they'll understand that in the future..."

_That's right. He knew this name; he'd met her before. But from where?_

**_Long ago a Konoha kunoichi looked after your for a week. She showed you what it was like to be loved._**

_Gaara's eyes widened, his grip on her immediately releasing as she fell to the floor limply. 'No... It can't be...' His eyes looked at the kunoichi in panic, seeing her trying to steady her breathing. He came closer to her then, an act that made Sakura instinctively shy away from him in fear, but from her position against the bark of a tree, she could hardly move._

_"...Sakura...?" he did not touch her, but his face got closer to hers, examining her emerald orbs._

_She looked up in hazy confusion. Did this boy know her somehow?_

_But there was no mistaking it. Not anymore; not when he was so close and he could smell her very essence. "It is you..." Sakura blinked, staring in near amazement as the Sand surrounding the boy began to recede and fall to the floor, making a precarious pile beneath them. And then suddenly Gaara brought her to his arms and caged her in a gentle hug. "After all these years..."_

_Gaara didn't care that it didn't make sense. He didn't care that this kunoichi should be seven years older. She was the same person, there was no doubt about it. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." he seemed deeply remorseful for the pain and injuries he had caused her, and Sakura could see it then, the raw vulnerability in his eyes; the loneliness and pain he had been feeling all along, and it made her want to cry. She could feel his raw emotions, and it resonated within her heart as she recalled the day her family had been wiped out. She knew exactly what this pain was._

_"See? I knew you weren't a monster..." She allowed a small smile to grace her features, even if she didn't know what Gaara was talking about -maybe he had her confused with another Sakura. Nevertheless, she was glad to find that she and her teammates seemed to be, as of now, out of harms way._

**_Only love and restraint will help you control this blood lust. There is no reason to fight me anymore; let me help you._**

_Gaara wasn't entirely sure if he could trust his beast, as he stared at Sakura, crawling over to Sasuke first, and checking his pulse, before doing the same to Naruto. If was obvious how much she cared for the two boys, as she muttered a quick "I need to carry them to the hospital", mainly to herself but he had heard anyway._

_"Please... let me help." Gaara's statement made Sakura's eyes widen, clearly in uncertainty and fear. "This wasn't me... This isn't me." he affirmed with certainty._

_Sakura didn't know why, but she felt that she could trust him. And as such, with a reluctant nod, she watched Gaara's sand slowly move towards Sasuke, Naruto, and herself, before all three of them were picked up by said sand, and along with Gaara, they made a dash towards the Konoha main gates. It was a fast ride, Sakura's heart pounding against her chest the entire way there._

_Once they landed, some of Gaara's sand receded back into his gourd, enough to gently put Team 7 on the ground. "Someone will notice you here." he stated, before turning around._

_Sakura blinked curiously. "W-Where are you going?"_

_Gaara contemplated his answer. "I'm through with being a puppet, Sakura."_

_And so he began to walk away, until Sakura called out his name once more, making him stop. "Gaara... Arigatou..."_

_Her tone was sincere and earnest and grateful, and everything in between, and it made Gaara realize that nobody had ever spoken to him with such gratitude before -and that such gratitude filled him with joy, more importantly. And so, he disappeared with a flurry of sand. He would bring this attack to on end, and Shukaku would help him._

_Within his mind, Shukaku couldn't help but sigh in relief. The girl was safe, and her village would remain relatively unharmed. **'I hope this is what you wanted, Matsuro-sama...'**_

_Sakura would later come to find that within the rooftop of the place where the Chunin Exams were taking place, an assassination attempt at the Hokage's life had been taken. Yet, it had failed miserably, due to a particular red-headed boy who completely took everyone by surprise and assaulted Sunagakure and Kusagakure shinobi alike, releasing the barrier holding the Hokage captive. Upon seeing an enraged Jinchuuriki on the loose, both shinobi were quick to submit, with the red-headed boy, who couldn't possibly be older than thirteen years of age, said he would be taking his shinobi and leave._

_No one dared question him, as he stood with so much authority that one would have confused him for a Kage._

_And, as she would explain this to Sasuke and Naruto once they had once again regained consciousness a day later, there would only be one sentence to come out of their mouths._

_"What happened yesterday?"_

_"You mean to tell me you don't remember anything?" Sakura blinked, completely dumb-founded -how could they have forgotten?_

_"The last thing I remember is fighting Gaara." Sasuke huffed, realizing that he had lost his battle against the Suna shinobi._

_"And the last thing I remember was chasing after Sasuke." Naruto shrugged._

_Sakura blinked. "They are both suffering from concussions, Sakura-chan." Mikoto, who had been beside both their bedsides (With Saki sitting down on her nii-san's bed, all cutesy at the mere age of six, of course) the entire time, explained. "It's not uncommon to have some short-term memory problems and having forgotten the events leading up to their injuries."_

_"Well, I guess that would explain it..." Sakura stated quietly. She guessed she couldn't ask either of them about why Gaara seemed to know her. She supposed they wouldn't know anyway, so why bring the matter up? Nevertheless, all was right in the world. Their Hokage, although tired and complaining about a sore back, was healthy and high in spirits, her two boys were safe, and Konoha was already rebuilding the little damage and destruction that it had fallen into._

_"So what'll happen to Suna?" Sasuke asked with a small grunt -his head was throbbing, after all, and his younger sister was squeezing his hand as if he would die any second if she so happened to let go -but whatever, truthfully speaking, he didn't mind this affection one bit._

_"It's hard to tell... Orochimaru was disguised as the true Kazekage, after all..." Mikoto muttered. "It's safe to say that their Kazekage is no longer, well, you know." Mikoto stated, not wanting to bring up death while Saki was in the room. "As such, it's not like we can necessarily hold them completely liable for their actions, having been manipulated by Orochimaru. But they did attempt to assassinate Sarutobi-sama, an act intolerable to anyone here."_

_"Hokage-sama is very dearly loved." Sakura nodded._

_"Exactly. As such, I don't really see us being on friendly terms for the time being -certainly not during Sarutobi's reign."_

_Sakura blinked -what a bummer. She would have loved to meet Gaara once more and ask him who he confused her with._

_Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and promptly afterwards, a man with silver hair appeared. "Yo kiddies. I bring news." He walked in casually, both his hands shoved in his pockets (for he knew Mikoto would absolutely castrate him if he were reading his smut in front of her precious children). "One of you has been chosen to be elevated to Chunin status."_

_Tension sparked, if only because they knew this "one of you" to mean either Naruto or Sasuke, for Sakura had been wiped out of the competition early on._

_"...Congratulations, Sasuke."_

_"..."_

_"..."_

_"SA-SU-KE-TE-ME...!"_

_Concussions and other miscellaneous injuries aside, her boys would be just fine, Sakura decided with a laugh, watching Naruto hop on to Sasuke's bed, Saki quick to withdraw herself, sensing the tension, and choosing to instead settle upon her Sakura-neesan's lap, watching on with mild entertainment. "Zugoi Sasuke-nii, you're amazing!"_

* * *

The Akatsuki had been relatively inactive after their crushing defeat at the hands of Konoha and Kirigakure. And as Pein and Madara were figuring out their next plan of attack, this left the remaining members with very rare leisure activity, particularly to the team of Kisame and Itachi -Deidara was still recuperating, after all, and Konan had expressly told him to lay off of any sort of physical activity until the stitches healed. Konan had left the base about three days ago, and they had not seen or heard from her since -not that they particularly cared or were worried for her anyhow.

So on this particular day, exactly five days after Kisame's escape, they found themselves outside in one of the many training fields surrounding the Akatsuki base. Kisame was mindlessly taking out his frustrations on a tree, with Itachi leaning on one a way's away, his eyes closed and his face seemingly relaxed.

But truth be told, it was far from relaxed.

It unnerved him to think that Kisame now knew of his status as loyal to Konoha -not to say that he didn't trust Kisame (although trusting someone wholesomely was in itself a threat, he knew Kisame was in too deep to back down now), it was just that he had never expected the outcome to be like this. But this wasn't what had Itachi's nerves on edge at all...

_Sakura had looked stunning. From the moment he had first laid eyes on her, going down the staircase in the arms of his otouto, he could feel his weight shift uncomfortably. She looked nothing like he remembered her to be -then again, her image was forever imprinted in his mind as the twelve year old he had met and learned to care for._

_The sight before him -this was a lady. A budding woman, heir to her clan. To think that, perhaps, had his mission in life not been to walk down a lonely, dark road, they would have been together -it was a natural theory, both being heirs to their respective, regal clans and Fugaku being the way he was. Yet, this thought led to a startling revelation, and made him realize that within the short span of her return, Sakura had already began to set his life in complete disarray, because how dare he even have these thoughts? She always did this -more than likely without even knowing it. The eleven years since the massacre, he had built up walls so high and so impenetrable, that no one, not even Sasuke or his own mother, would probably be able to break him._

_But her? She was crumbling them bit by bit, without so much as a glance his way, and it angered him to think _Why, why can she do this so effortlessly? _because feelings, above all else love, was a foreign emotion to him that didn't extend much further than his own mother and siblings._

_How could he even say he loved, **had loved, **her to begin with? The idea in itself seemed preposterous. He was but a boy at the tender age of thirteen when they had met -she a woman in her own respects, but in the body of a child nonetheless. Had it been a crush, he could have accepted it -even he was human, and at the peak of his hormones it would have been a natural reaction, seeing how much time he had spent with her anyway._

_But this went further than that. It had physically pained him to see her hurt. It had been nearly death in itself to think he had killed her. It had nearly been akin to bliss the few moments he had shared alone with her, being able to be enveloped by her warmth, kindness, and happiness. And lastly, to see another man (no longer a boy, but a full-fledged man) take interest in her sexually sent a foreign emotion pulsing through his blood -because how dare another man try and claim what could have, would have been his?_

_And despite her lies, her deceit, and all the chaos that had ensued **because of her **eleven years ago, he was still there, noticeably watching her figure and her actions all the while._

_He was glad to find at least, that for the most part, the extent of her company remained to her own kinsmen, as well as his own family, with the inclusion of the Jinchuuriki. _

_But the other one -the non-Konoha nin, made him shift uncomfortably and set his mind uneasy with so much as just a glance her way -his intentions were clear. They had been clear the day he had had dinner at her house, truth be told, and it irritated him to think that his mere actions were enough to actually make Itachi **want **to castrate something -or someone, specifically._

_At least Sasuke was there_

_He didn't know why this thought alleviated him greatly -probably because she could be no safer anywhere else than in Sasuke's general vicinity. _

_Not that Sakura truly needed protection, if he were honest. She had dealt with Utakata accordingly, and although his mind told him she had responded adequately to the situation at hand (he was a guest, for Kami's sake, one that had to be accommodated for greatly, due to his position as Kiri Jinchuuriki), something within him wouldn't have minded seeing physical harm done to the Kiri-nin._

_And as he thought all this, becoming more and more irritated by the second, another thought emerged that made him turn around and walk away, his body turning away from the sight of Sakura before him._

_Why was he even thinking all this? About her?_

_He was on a mission -one which he would not let succeed, but a mission nonetheless. So why were thoughts of Sakura and her very being infiltrating his mind as if thoughts of her were welcome? Because they weren't. He could attest to that, and he adamantly believed in it._

_So naturally, it was only extremely hypocritical and sent him into an even more foul mood when, several hours later, he found himself on the dance floor with the very same kunoichi he probably should have stayed far, far away from in between his arms, after making initial contact with her, of course._

_But he couldn't even blame himself for this. Clearly, Sakura was discomforted by being around the Kiri-nin, and Sasuke was busy elsewhere taking orders from his Hokage. He did this primarily for her -even though he told himself this, he knew otherwise, and it had taken all his strength, every fiber in his being, to not light the Kiri-nin on fire when he started speaking and touching Sakura so informally._

_Sakura was a woman of a regal clan -an heir, above all else, so for her to be touched so intimately by a man she had barely met that week?_

_Unforgivable._

_Then again, what gave Itachi the right to do the very same thing?_

_Given his thoughts, it was understandable that he didn't respond to Sakura immediately._

_"I thought you would have left by now"_

_Truthfully speaking, he should have, having no business left here -he had planned on leaving, in fact. It had been all he could do or say for that matter, to ask about Kisame several minutes later, probably more so to convince himself that he had a purpose for being there other than for Sakura._

_And once he had finally mustered up the mental strength to leave, she had followed him, though he had honestly expected no less from her._

_But when she had pulled him to her? He had lost. His wall came down almost completely, and had it not been for Sasuke's sudden emergence he was sure he would have been left as vulnerable as the day of the massacre._

"-achi!"

Itachi's eyes opened, seeing Kisame a way's away, leaning on his Samehada expectantly. "Hn?" He didn't know how long Kisame had been calling his name -hopefully not long. This scene had been playing in his head, over and over again since the gala, and it was starting to vex him. Why was he even thinking about it so much?

"Are you sure you don't want to spar?" Kisame seemed genuinely concerned, Itachi could tell through his posture and tone of voice.

And why wouldn't he be? Itachi just hadn't been himself since the Gala -don't mind the fact that he had revealed one of his deepest, darkest secrets to the Kiri-nin earlier that week. And he had an idea as to why that would be. And so, he approached Itachi, sitting down carelessly alongside him. "Something's eating away at you Itachi." He wasn't necessarily trying to make Itachi open up to him -just making a general observation.

Itachi glanced at him, but said nothing on the matter (he refused to acknowledge this statement, after all. Nothing was _eating away at him, _he was just thinking about the recent events of the past). "And you?"

Kisame could have snorted. "Way to try and discreetly redirect the topic." Nevertheless, Itachi's response made him sigh uncharacteristically, as if the past week had shredded ages off of his life span -which it truthfully could have. It was incredibly ironic that Itachi's defection of Akatsuki (if it could even be called that, for he had never really been set on achieving this goal, that much was clear) did not affect him or the way he viewed his partner. Up until this past month, he had been extremely devoted to the Akatsuki cause -more so than any one member of the group. So for him to not care about this undeniable truth? For him to not be affected even just the slightest bit unnerved him greatly.

-and it made him realize maybe he hadn't been that committed to this cause from the get go anyway, and it pained him to think that. Kisame was a man that prided himself in his Shinobi way. He was a man with the strict belief that his actions would be reflective of the future that he desired. And to think that the past eleven years of his life had been a waste? To think that they could have even been counter-productive? It was devastating -it was mind-shattering, truth be told. "I'm jealous by how collected you can remain by all this." Kisame's statement was sincere. Even now, he was taking out all of his pent up stress and frustration on anything he could get his hands on -that is, after the exhaustion of his revelation had sunk it. At first he couldn't believe it. Now a sort of desperation was sinking in, gnawing away at his conscious.

"My values and ideals have always been the same." Itachi countered. "You are the one gaining a new perspective."

And Kisame guessed Itachi had a point. Joining Akatsuki, Itachi already had a set goal in mind, whatever it was -nothing had changed for him since then. But Kisame? That was a different story. "Sometimes I hate how in control of everything you seem." he stated, somewhat of a ghostly grin on his expression. "Like you've got everything figured out. I guess this is a refreshing change."

Itachi glanced at Kisame. Did Kisame mean to tell him that he _wasn't _in control now?

"Itachi, more often than not you're spaced out. It's hard enough getting into a normal conversation as it was before -now? You hardly know I'm talking." There was silence as Itachi allowed this information to sink in (not that he didn't already know). "You've been thinking about her, haven't you...? That kunoichi..." he trailed off hesitantly, tentatively speaking her name, "Sakura..." He hadn't brought her up or mentioned her name, not once, since Itachi revealed to him that she had been the very same kunoichi from the past, despite how much he was dying to, a form of courtesy to Itachi. But clearly something up was, and he could wait no longer. He wanted Itachi to trust and rely on him, as much as Kisame felt he did to Itachi, desperately wishing he could him the Konoha rogue. After all, Itachi was a genuine nice guy -someone who probably didn't deserve this life-style after all, and it almost made Kisame pity him.

Itachi looked away in response, almost as if unwilling to continue this conversation.

"Stop running from the truth." Kisame nearly snapped at Itachi's attempt to avoid the topic. "You care for her -that much is clear."

"Kisame" Itachi's tone was alarming -he was warning Kisame to back off, because then he'd be forced to admit that she was changing him, and affecting the plan he had woven many, many years ago, and like hell did he want to admit that sort of defeat, that loss of control over his own life -not even his own father or the elders had taken that from him, and he didn't want to even fathom the idea that this kunoichi had been able to accomplish what no one else had.

"No" Kisame barked back. "Just because you choose not to accept it doesn't make it any less real. I saw the way you looked at her Itachi -the way you saw her eleven years ago is exactly the same as you see her now, I know it." Kisame hadn't forgotten -his meeting with the two younger Konoha-nin had been one of the most impacting encounters of his life. "You don't come by that very often in our line of work... A tie so strong it surpasses your alliances..."

"Her alliance is with Konoha -mine varies minimally." Itachi countered.

"But she's fighting for you Itachi. That's more than I can say for anyone in my life -she cares enough to not let go."

Silence filtered through the clearing, a small breeze picking up.

Frankly, Itachi didn't know what to say to that.

For the first time in his life, he was at a loss for words.

* * *

"I don't think I've ever been this tired in my life." Sakura muttered, tossing her body on to the closest bed. Uncharacteristically enough, Sasuke did the same shortly afterwards, to the second bed in the room.

Neji, too prideful and lacking a bed, decided to settle for leaning on the closest wall (hell if he'd admit he was actually exhausted).

Leave it to Neji to slave them all the way to Suna, and then have Temari slave them for the next 48 hours thereafter (who knew Temari could be such a tight ass? She blamed it on having to be behind Shikamaru's case relentlessly).

It had taken them seven hours, immediately after their arrival, to get established, meet with Gaara, the Elders, Temari, and anyone else deemed important enough. After formalities were underway, they were allowed a two hour rest period, before Temari put them to work establishing the location of the training. From there, Sakura was briefly separated from Neji and Sasuke, as the Head Medic of Suna, who's name was Mikan Watari, began showing Sakura the various rooms, labs, and equipment they had already established in their separate portion of their encampment -and everything that still lacked.

Needless to say, it had been up to Sakura and Mikan to complete taking full stock of all the equipment, as well as interview each and every one of the candidates for the program as well as assess their abilities, strengths and weaknesses, as well as selecting a significant few to help with other projects.

By the time she had reunited with Sasuke and Neji, it was already nightfall. And although Sakura hoped that they would be done for the night, she was sorely disappointed. Because Sakura then had to accompany Neji and Sasuke to meet the Suna Head shinobi of the program with which Sasuke and Neji would be collaborating and do the very same process she had done with Mikan, because Tsunade herself had asked for all of them to be involved in this process, but not vice versa. Sasuke and Neji knew nothing about medical-ninjutsu and as such would be useless, after all. But Sakura was a skilled kunoichi, up to par, and if not more skilled than either Sasuke or Neji, and as such her expertise in combat would be useful.

Sakura was quickly starting to understand that, although specifically focusing on her field as medic ambassador for Konoha, Tsunade had made her the jack of all trades, using her for just about every detail, political or not.

She was going to die, she was sure of it.

Suna had adamantly stated that they had to get this done as quick as possible (their program started tomorrow after all), and as such, they were forced to pull an all-nighter (at which moment Sakura had made it a point to give Neji an ear-full for giving them only 2 hours rest on their way over to Suna as it was) for practically the second day. By the time the morning came around, Neji and Sasuke were put to rest -but Sakura? She had to help Mikan order test subjects and decide on the books that they would need, as well as the topics they would cover first and the scheduling for such lectures (hadn't Tsunade told her this had already been decided? Bullshit.)

And after that? Guess what -the shinobi training regime had already started, in which Sasuke, Neji, and Sakura were left standing in the middle of a vast, sandy expanse with over one hundred and fifty shinobi before them, a third of which probably Konoha-nin (Sakura could already see some of her kouhai from the younger generation among them).

From there, they were split into three different groups, Neji, Sakura, and Neji each taking on more or less 50 students, and having a ten minute one-on-one match in order to establish their current skill, as well as to assign them into groups based on abilities.

This excruciating 8 hour long process had 2 short intervals consisting of thirty minutes each for lunch and rest respectively, but other than that, it had been a relentless process. Needless to say, the unfortunate souls that had the displeasure of being assigned to Sakura Haruno came to realize that an exhausted, sleep-deprived kunoichi was not something to take lightly.

Fortunately, with all the lack of luck this kunoichi seemed to have, she was allowed a rest period afterwards, her own medical exchange program not actually starting for another two days. Mikan, having noticed Sakura's full plate, allowed her to skip out on the introductory meetings and courses, stating that she would get Temari to help her with this -she was just as involved and knowledgeable in what was going on here anyway, of which Sakura was extremely grateful for.

So now, here she was, her body aching, her chakra lacking, her stomach growling, and her body filthy to the bone. "I swear it's only the third day and I want to pull my hair out."

Sasuke could hardly comment -he and Neji had it easy compared to Sakura. Why had Neji even been designated as captain if Sakura was taking the heap of the workload? Reasonably speaking, it was probably because Neji's status as the senior shinobi, as well as the need to not have Sakura attract too much attention, but at this point in their lives, seniority hardly meant a thing, and Suna was an ally already; no need to be subtle about Sakura's status as a Haruno.

Nevertheless, this was more or less Sakura's problem (although he was sure he'd be hearing her complain for the oncoming two weeks nonetheless). He was tired, dirty, and desperately needed a shower.

"We still have to discuss the plans pertaining to the training regimes."

Something audibly seemed to snap, although none were entirely sure if it had been Sakura's mental stability or her knuckles. "Oh no; no you freaking don't Hyuga." She turned and stood, taking five menacing steps towards the Hyuga before she was standing before him, a deadly finger poking him in the chest (mind you the Hyuga never let himself be touched to begin with). "I am going to take a shower, and I am going to sleep, or so help me I will _castrate _you in your sleep -don't think I won't." No, the snapping sound had definitely been Sakura's mental stability, they were all sure now.

Neji's nonchalant eyes bore into Sakura's shorter frame, not missing Sasuke in the background mouthing _She's not joking _in what could almost be considered fear.

As such, Neji quickly retracted his statement. "But I believe this can be done tomorrow morning, perhaps over breakfast. Good night you two." And as such, Neji exited the room, having the privilege of getting his own as the captain of the team. Truthfully speaking, he didn't quite remember Sakura being this venomous and scary before.

Smoke seemed to rise from Sakura's ears. "I call first shower." she demanded, even as she slammed the door to the bathroom shut and left no room to argue.

Needless to say, she was out like a light the moment her head hit the pillow after coming out of her bath.

* * *

_Where could this kunoichi be?_

His eyes scanned all of Konoha from atop the Hokage monument. He had been searching for three days now -if she were here he would have either sensed or seen her by now -he could still remember her chakra signature, after all; there was no way he'd forget it, truthfully speaking. It reminded him of someone... Someone from long, long ago.

But, long story short, the kunoichi wasn't here, which irritated him. It was hard enough tracking a Haruno, for their numbers were few and far in between, but this kunoichi had completely gone off the grid. Which truly sucked, because he had genuinely been interested to find out more about the kunoichi. Unfortunately, withthe way things had unfolded at the gala, he had had his hands full just trying to confirm Kisame and Itachi's story; not that he didn't believe them, but it was oddly suspicious for Kisame to have been caught and still not be able to take out Mei. It was just that, simply put, Itachi and Kisame were his best team in the organization, they're efficiency and teamwork remarkable. He had never had a failed mission with them, and it was intriguing that both had failed when both of their countries were at stake. But alas, all the information he had found or heard had left him with one consensus; Kisame had walked too close to Hatake Kakashi and one of the Haruno brats, and before before captured he tried to attack, but failed. He couldn't truly hold Kisame at fault for a mission completely out of his field of expertise, after all.

Alas, this would be his luck -Fate never seemed to be in his favor, after all.

With a swish of his robe, the masked figure was gone, seemingly swallowed up by his single visible eye through the hole in his orange swirly mask.

_There will be time later, he supposed_

* * *

_Kikyou..._

_I... I want you to lead by my side..._

_What? I don't understand..._

* * *

_"The watermelon's ready!"_

_"Hai!"_

_Marika stared as she saw Hiroto's figure approaching. It was hard to believe that she had been at this for three years now. Three undeniably short years in which she had somehow managed to start liking the elder Uchiha._

_'It's just a crush, it'll pass,' she reminded herself, even as Shisui approached her with a grin that made her cheeks a little pinker, and her heart race a little faster. It wasn't like he would ever return her feelings anyway. She was still a child at sixteen. He was already a man in his own right at nineteen -why would he even consider looking at her or even giving her a second glance when she was sure there were many more wonderful women, way more pleasing to the eye than herself? She was just as flat as the eighteen-year-old Sakura she had seen (never mind their mother had been pretty well-endowed, so what had happened to their genes?) and knew she'd be lucky to develop as much -or as little, depending on the opinion, as Sakura._

_To top it all off, her hair color was unusually bright and wavy, an unruly combination, and the humidity in the air during such a hot summer time was definitely not helping. Whatever. She had given up trying to even look decent in front of the Uchiha male; why did it even matter anyway? _

_"Is it really that hot in here? You're turning pink again Marika."_

_The statement made Marika go a little pinker, finally snapping out of her thoughts and noticing Shisui was staring at her, having gotten just a little bit closer -too close, if you ask her._

_"Don't get so close!" She yelped, hurriedly shoving him away, even as he precariously handled the plate of cut up watermelon slices, making sure none went to waste._

_Nevertheless, he laughed and allowed her the space she desired. "You never cease to make me smile." He commented as he walked away. _

_At said comment, Marika couldn't help but grimace. That's right; that was all she was to him, just someone to entertain him and give him company in his otherwise empty social life. She was probably the only person he kept in contact with, after all._

_"Come on Marika, the fireworks will be starting soon!"_

_With a sigh, she tucked her thoughts away. "Hai, I'm coming."_

* * *

_Saki didn't quite understand why everyone seemed to tip-toe around her. Even at the mere age of seven, she could recognize how people held her to a much higher degree or standard than anyone else around her. Almost as if they expected great things from her, but simultaneously thought her dainty and fragile like a flower. It was quite confusing to her, honestly. _

_Things hadn't changed one bit throughout the years, either. Even now, at age nine, things were still the same. She wasn't dumb. She knew of her past, knew of her lineage. She knew her eldest brother, Uchiha Itachi, had killed her entire clan; she hadn't found out through her family, but through confrontations at the Academy and research in the library, but she knew nonetheless. They didn't know that she knew, but trust her, she most definitely did. But what did that have to do with her? She had a great family as it was -her Okaa-san and a great, powerful, and caring Nii-san, and and an even bigger extended family through Sakura, Himawari, Hiroto, and the rest of the Haruno Clan, as well as Naruto and the remainder of the Rookie 9 she had familiarized herself with over the years. She knew her upbringing was anything but normal, but she was oddly at peace with it. Besides, she knew a similar occurrence to have happened here in this very compound, to her make-shift family. _

_"You're much like I was, Saki-chan." _

_On one particular evening, when Mikoto was out grocery shopping and Sasuke-nii was out sparring with Naruto, Saki decided to voice out her concerns with her make-shift sister. "How so, Sakura-neesan?" She questioned._

_"I was about seven when I was left alone, heir to my clan." Sakura began. "Except, I wasn't as strong or smart as you are now." Sakura was truthful. "It wouldn't be until a year or so later when Himawari and Marika-neesan and the rest would reappear into my life."_

_Saki waited patiently for Sakura's next words, as she seemed to contemplate her answer._

_"...It's scary, Saki-chan." She was truthful, and she chuckled ironically, feeling at the pit of her stomach the despair and loneliness she had felt. "It's really scary to think that you're all alone -to feel like nobody understands you or what you've gone through. The truth will always haunt us, even if we don't seem fazed. I'm sure Mikoto, and Sasuke-kun, and Naruto... they're not entirely certain how to approach us about certain topics; they don't know how sensitive we are when it comes to them. Clearly, you know our family isn't normal. Your Otou-san isn't here. You have no aunties, no grandparents, no cousins. They just... don't know how to approach the topic. For much of our childhood, Sasuke-kun tried to deny who he was, because he couldn't accept the way things had gone down. I think he doesn't want you to question yourself either..."_

_Saki blinked. "But why would I? I have a wonderful family as things are now." But even as she said this, her smile failed to convey her real feelings, as tears began to slowly fall down her cheeks. Frankly, she hadn't even known she felt upset about the whole ordeal, and crying seemed to have been a surprise for her. She understood their reasoning -she truly did. And she was glad that they were so considerate and sensitive to not want to bring up anything to do with the past. But what they failed to realize was that it was extremely lonely not knowing anything about her extended family. They had been ripped away from her before she had even got the chance to meet them, and the pain and loneliness she felt was almost unbearable._

_Sakura smiled. "Yeah... I think so too, Saki-chan." and so, she pulled Saki in for a warm hug, letting Saki's tears fall on the crook of her neck._

_"I wonder what Otou-san was like..." she muttered under her breath, suddenly breaking down._

_"I'm sure he would have loved you very much, Saki-chan. If Mikoto chose him, I know he would have cherished you..."_

_"Arigatou... Sakura-neesama..."_

_Sakura didn't know how long Saki had been crying, but eventually, she had fallen asleep on Sakura's lap. Saki truly was wise beyond her years -she had a certain understanding of the world, one which Sakura hadn't expected to find in someone so young. Not to mention she didn't have that odious lust for revenge like Sasuke did, even though he hardly, if ever showed it -but Sakura knew better, and she knew that it was there._

_She couldn't sway Sasuke's opinions, that was for sure, but if she could at least help enlighten Saki on the path she should take, it would make her just as happy. Sasuke was not her only brother-like figure, after all. 'I should talk to Sasuke-kun and Mikoto about this...' she brushed Saki's locks aside._

* * *

"Baa-chan~!" Naruto complained, hammering his fist on the door of Tsunade's office. "I know you're in there!" Naruto huffed in anger. How dare that old hag send out Sasuke-teme and his Sakura-chan on a mission without him?! And with Neji, of all people?! Ughh. That brat was probably making moves on his Sakura-chan, or something (but never mind that, Naruto knew in the innermost recesses of his mind that this notion was ridiculous, but any guy who wasn't part of Team 7 seemed fishy to him anyway).

"I told you already, Naruto. You are to stay in the village." Tsunade boomed from the other side of the door, planting her body firmly against it so that he couldn't possibly come barging in and annoy her to death until she had no choice but to hand him a mission slip.

"But Baa-chan!" Naruto complained, not ceasing his relentless assault on the door, no matter how futile it was against the ferociously strong Hokage on the other side. If he couldn't beat her, he might as well annoy the hell out of her and make her regret her decision, after all.

"A-Anno... Tsunade-sama..." Tsunade blinked, having completely forgotten about the Hyuga heiress that had come for a mission description before she had sensed Naruto's speedy chakra dashing through the building. "S-Should I come b-back another t-time...?" she fiddled with her fingers then, all too aware of Naruto's presence from the other side of the wall. Even now, eleven years after she had first fallen for Naruto, she was still hopelessly shy and could barely look at him in the eye.

"No, just wait..." Tsunade muttered, clicking the back of her tongue in irritation, as she rummaged her brain for some sort of way out of this ordeal. Naruto's determination to annoy her was nearly more vexing than having to deal with the elders, after all. Suddenly, a sudden light bulb seemed to go off on Tsunade's head. "Fine Naruto, you want a mission?" she bellowed, waiting until Naruto's incessant thuds were all but gone, before she opened the door. "I've got one for you, if only to get you out of my hair."

Naruto grinned a characteristic victorious grin. "Sweet, I knew you'd come around, Baa-chan." And just then he was barely able to notice the other female in the room, the quiet and shy Hyuga who always seemed to have fainting spells whenever he saw her -maybe she was anemic? "You're going to accompany Hinata here to deliver a scroll to the Fire Daimyo on the outskirts of the Land of Fire."

In the background, Hinata's eyes widened in panic, and even though she wanted to speak and deny Tsunade's request, her feet were glued to the spot and her voice was now frozen over. A mission, alone... _**with Naruto-kun?! **_Kami kill her now.

"What? But that's so boring!" Naruto complained loudly. "I want some adventure."

"Take it or leave it Naruto. This is my only offer. It's this or being stuck in Konoha."

Naruto grumbled incoherent words, but with a defeated sigh, muttered a "When do we get started?"

Tsunade couldn't help but inwardly smile. Finally, she would have the brat out of her hair for at least two days, and she'd finally be able to have some peace and quiet around here. He had been pounding at her door since Sasuke, Neji, and Sakura left, and after four days she desperately needed a break from him. "Ask Hinata. She's in charge of the mission."

Hinata's eyes widened once again. She? Bossing _**Naruto-kun **_around?! "T-T-T-Tonight's f-f-f-fine." Oh god, her stutter just worsened ten-fold. Kami, please kill her for a second time.

"You heard the lady, best leave and pack now so you're not late. Hurry up, I have much to discuss with Hinata." and so Tsunade was quick to usher Naruto out, muttering a quick "I best not see you once more until you've returned from your mission," before she finally pushed him out of the room and shut the door behind her, sighing in relief as she heard Naruto walk off moments later.

Finally, some peace and quiet.

She began walking back to her desk desk to perhaps open up some sake, having momentarily forgotten that Hinata was still in there -but who could blame her? Hinata had no presence at all, especially not when Naruto was in the room. "A-A-Anno... Tsunade-sama..." the fiddling of her fingers had once again returned, Hinata's porcelain skin flushed into a perfect shade of red.

Oh, that's right! Tsunade sighed, throwing herself onto her chair before she addressed Hinata. "You don't mind, right Hinata? It's just a two day mission. Please get him out of my hair."

"B-B-But...-"

"Come on, all you have to do is watch him and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid in front of the Fire Daimyo. That shouldn't be too hard!"

"B-Bu-" It wasn't fair -she wasn't even giving Hinata any room to argue her case!

"Come on, you'll be fine. This will also give you the perfect opportunity to finally make a move on him and tell him how you feel. Wouldn't that be ni- Hinata?!"

But it was too late. At her mere statement, Hinata had already fainted onto the floor. Tsunade sighed. What did she even see in that stupid boy anyway?

* * *

"As you all know, I am Haruno Sakura, Head administrator for the Konohagakure medical exchange program. I am a direct disciple of Tsunade, Fifth Hokage." Sakura began, eyeing the hundred or so applicants for the medical program. "During the next two weeks, you will be placed into a level based on your skills, strengths and weaknesses, and we will hopefully set up the foundation to your further training and improvement. As such, I expect nothing but the best from all of you." Sakura began her speech, realizing that this was much easier than speaking to the Elders. Here, she was the boss -it was her way or the highway, and she had to admit that she greatly enjoyed that. "I will work you -I will slave you, frankly. But know that this is essential for become a master medic-nin. We are the foundation of our team -a centerpiece, if you will. Our entire team depends on us, and as such, we have no room to fail. If you are not up for the challenge, I kindly ask you leave now, lest you waste both of our time."

The introduction to her course hadn't been the nicest, Sakura had to admit, but she wasn't here to be nice. She was here to produce efficient medic-nin, and she would act no differently than Tsunade had with her.

She could see the frightful glances from some of the peers before her, namely the non-Konoha ones who weren't used to her behavior, but she dismissed it. If they thought she was scary now, well then they were in for a treat tomorrow, when the program fully got it's kick start.

Mikan, the head for the Suna administrator, stepped up alongside her, with a kinder and warmer smile. "Including normal teaching lectures, you will all be required to put in at least twenty four hours a week of lab, in which we get hands on experimenting and practice, as well as twenty four hours of the normal shinobi training regime on the other side of the encampment. This is in order to make sure our stamina, endurance, and evasion skills are up to par for the roll of medic-nin." Mikan explained. "As you walk out of these doors, each of you will pick up three medical books, with introductions to human anatomy and chakra pathways, as well as the basics to healing techniques. We shall be using these during the course of our studies, although we expect all of the human anatomy to be learned by the end of this week. There shall be a test and those who fail will be dropped from the program immediately. There will also be laboratory hours mandatory for everyone today and tomorrow to assess your current abilities in healing and place you into a class. That is all."

And so, one by one, the students were quickly dismissed, some excited, some scared.

But never mind that; this was all beginner stuff anyway, Sakura reasoned.

* * *

"Mikan-san, these are the results of the first test." Sakura entered the office for the medical head quarters, placing a giant pile of paperwork on top of Mikan's desk. "I have already filed them into grade order, and divided them into categories. The one's on top are the ones I believe have the capabilities to move on to the more advanced lectures, where as the ones in the bottom I believe have regressed and as such should be dropped."

Mikan stared at the pile, noticing only about five had met Sakura's standards to move on to the next level -did she mention that they had easily over one hundred students? "Aren't you grading them a little hard?" Mikan sweat-dropped. She didn't know if this was because Sakura was genuinely a hard grader, used to Tsunade's wrath (even Mikan had heard stories), or if she was just so exhausted, and as such too irritable to even give anyone a second-glance.

"You can go over them if you want." Sakura shrugged. "I may be hard on them but I believe that is the only way they will reach the peak of their abilities." And it was true. Sakura was a slave driver, much like her mentor, but she had all the best intentions in the world.

"Iee, I trust your judgement." Mikan stated with a smile.

"Good. Now, if you don't need me any further, I've got to clock in for my time in the shinobi encampment." Sakura stated -she wished her day was over now, but that was but a far-fetched dream. She'd be living off of three hour sleep for the next two weeks.

"Of course. Don't strain yourself too hard." Mikan stated, although she knew this to be impossible, knowing Sakura's schedule.

* * *

"Cheers!"

Team Neji, along with the Sand siblings were currently eating out, to commemorate a job well done these past two grueling weeks. Finally, they could rest, and finally they were allowed to return home, where surely they would get their own break.

"How is the program looking?" Kankuro asked, he being the next one to take over on behalf of the Suna shinobi administrator.

"There are promising shinobi." Sakura nodded. "I don't think there's been anyone in particular to fall behind; they all seem genuinely excited about this exchange program. I'd say relations are running smoothly."

"What a relief." Temari sighed. "Hopefully with my final report the Elders will give us some more breathing room with the management of the program." Temari stated, gulping down her glass. "But never mind that, I'm sure the last thing you guys want to do is talk about the program. You'll be home free soon enough."

Sakura nodded in excitement. "I haven't gotten good sleep in the past two weeks." Because even though they had two days off a week, due to Sakura's participation in both programs, she ended up having to work over time anyway, and ended up clocking in for work even though she shouldn't have. "In fact, I think I'm going to head in early today." Sakura was truthful. She barely had enough energy to go out and get some drinks tonight -Sasuke and Temari had practically dragged her out of bed, after all.

"I understand, you've done more than your fair share of work, that's for sure." Kankuro commended Sakura.

"You bet your ass I have." Sakura laughed, but allowed conversation from there on to be carried by the likes of Kankuro, Sasuke, and Temari with the occasional word from Neji as well. Gaara, who was alongside her, paid no particular attention to the conversation, his attention more focused on her than anything. After all, he had barely gotten to interact with her since her arrival, this being one of the few rare times that she had off and he was relieved of his duties for the night to actually spend time with her.

Not that he had anything to say in particular. Her mere presence was soothing, Shukaku more at peace than ever before. But of course he would be -Sakura was the reason that Shukaku was alive today, within the confines of Gaara's body.

After about fifteen minutes, Sakura excused herself, Gaara stating that he also had papers to look at, and as such they made their way out of the restaurant together, Gaara stating that he would walk her to her hotel. The walk there was relatively spent in a comfortable silence, until Gaara decided to speak. "Shukaku is inquiring if you have made contact with the remaining Jinchuuriki yet." he muttered quietly.

Sakura glanced at Gaara. "With the six-tail, yes. He was very... straight-forward." Sakura didn't exactly know what to say on the matter. "And I suspect that Tsunade-shishou will have contact with the eight-tails soon enough."

"Did he recognize you?" Gaara asked.

"I had never met Utakata in my own timeline..." Sakura stated. "But so he told me, Saiken was urging him to... ahh... "claim" me, as he put it..." There truly was no way to say it, and it was almost abnormal to hear the low rumble in Gaara's throat, a humorous laugh on his behalf.

"The tailed beasts within us have the strong urge to protect you, having direct ties with your Fate God." Gaara stated. "As such, they have this arrogant belief that the safest you could ever be is alongside them. I believe this to be the root of his desire."

"Oh..." It sort of made sense, but how dare that man come on to her so strongly and even touch her the way he did? Were she any more like her mentor she would have castrated the man.

"I also get those urges. But they are in a platonic manner, seeing as I know you from my own past as a mother-figure." Gaara stated, glancing at Sakura -yes, there was no mistaking it. Even now he could remember the thirteen-year-old Sakura pushing him on the swings and pushing him to be more confident in himself.

"I guess it would make sense as to why Naruto's had an undying, unwavering love for me since we were small..." Sakura sweat-dropped. "Still, I do hope that goes away. I'm not destined to be with Naruto." It was a matter of fact. If she were meant to be with him, she would have felt some feelings within her stir by now, seeing how close the two of them were. Alas, her feelings were forever doomed to remain exclusive to a particular Uchiha.

"They will." Gaara confirmed. "Once the sense of danger disappears. Naruto is merely confusing the urge to protect you as love. He'll come to know the difference eventually." Sakura was glad to hear that -she couldn't imagine Naruto with anyone other than Hinata, even if he had yet to realize her feelings for him. Alas, he was a dobe then, and he is a dobe now, and he would probably forever be a dobe, so unless Hinata somehow grew some balls and confessed, nothing would ever come of this unrequited love. The walk back to Sakura's hotel room was left in quiet comfort and ease -it was strange how at peace Sakura felt around the Jinchuuriki, although she guessed this to be because of how familiar she was with the younger Gaara. Upon her arrival to her hotel room, Gaara gave a quick goodbye and was on his way. "I leave you to your rest. It has been a great pleasure seeing you again, Sakura. Hopefully we'll see each other soon." Gaara was respectful, and with a courteous nod, left Sakura at her hotel room.

Sakura packed, and then spent the remainder of her time laying on her bed and staring out her window, her mind not particularly searching for anything, but in the back of her mind wondering if crows were a rare sight in Suna, because one had been perched just across the street, a direct view of her window, nearly for the entirety of her stay.

**End of Chapter**

**Sort of a filler for the most part, to set up the events of the following chapters/ further plot development :o Sorry about that, but I hope it was still enjoyable to read.**

**I wanted to get into the mind of Itachi a little bit more, to delve into his character and see how it had developed over the years through Sakura's absence and sudden reappearance. I don't exactly want to make him the overly-jealous type, or someone who is extremely possessive, but someone who, logically speaking, knows that he would have ended up with Sakura had he not had to leave Konoha as a rogue. As such, maybe some sort of entitlement may sink in, followed by confusion because she was her own person and he was nothing to her and a relationship between the two of them would never work anyway. Basically, he's confused, conflicted, and trying to convince himself that Sakura is nothing to him, but still having some sort of attachment to the 'what if' factor in his life.**

**Let me know how you guys think I did? I'm working really hard to not make him OOC but still leave him very likable and cute :3**

**In addition, because Kisame is an important character in the plot (I am biased and I love him so i made him as such), I want to show some more of his inner turmoil and struggles to help show how he was pushed into the decision(s) he will eventually make. =]**

**We also have "Tobi" taking an interest in Sakura ^-^ I can't wait to write this up for you ^-^ I know you guys will absolutely love it =-]~~!**

**I also incorporated a couple more flashbacks, in order to develop more character depth in some of my OC's, in particular Marika and Saki (here we see when she started calling her Sakura-neesama ^.^)**

**Tell me what you all thought? Remember, more reviews increases the likelihood of me updating faster =]**

**-MarzSpy**


	12. Kumogakure

**Here with another chapter =] Enjoy! More A/N after the chapter ^_^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters in any way, shape, or form.**

**Chapter 12: Kumogakure**

**P.S. Flashback is the first of Saki's 'Sharingan lessons', if you will.**

* * *

_It was a relatively bright and sunny day in Konoha, one day in spring. On this particular day, Sakura found herself putting endless hours at the hospital, with Saki's most precious Sasuke-nii and Naruto-senpai out on a mission with Lee and Shikamaru, leaving Saki along to most efficiently patronize her silver-haired Uncle figure to finally teach her about her heritage, in particular that which lay within her eyes. It had been hard to track him down, and even harder to chase after him, but after coaxing him with some of Mikoto's delicious dinner, she was finally able to convince her Uncle to train her on what would be her very first Sharingan training session._

_So there Saki and Kakashi were in the middle of a forest, deep within the confines of the Haruno Compound for some much needed privacy._

_"Within your eyes will be a unique ability or technique. Like Itachi, your oldest brother, you may have a technique unique to one eye, or like your cousin, you may have the same in both. The only way to know is by trying it out. Once you have mastered both eyes, you will unlock the ability to use the Susanoo."_

_Saki listened on intently, in complete awe at the knowledge that her brother's sensei contained._

_"But the Mangekyou is not something to use just because you feel like it." His tone got uncharacteristically serious, so much in fact, that it made Saki involuntarily shiver -this was the deadly Copy-Cat nin before her. It was hard to think of him that way, though. He had only ever been Uncle Kaka, after all. "Long-term use of the Mangekyou has a diminishing effect on your eye-sight. With enough use, you'll go blind without first obtaining the Mangekyou eyes of another Uchiha, preferably that one a close kinsmen, such as a brother."_

_The thought nearly sickened her, her nose crinkling in disgust. Taking Sasuke-nii's eyes? She would never; and how could someone ever do that to their own family anyway?_

_Almost as if he could read her mind, Kakashi spoke. "You'd be surprised what some are willing to do for power, Saki." Nevertheless, they were going off topic. "As much as it may be my duty to teach you of the Mangekyou, it is also my duty to warn you against its use. Nobody outside of this immediate family that we've created and Tsunade-sama know about your eyes. With good reason. We'd have potential kidnap attempts at your life. As such, you only use it for last-ditch efforts. But know that if anyone sees you with them, chances are they would have to be disposed of." Despite the fact that she had never heard her funny and perverted Uncle Kaka speak in such a serious tone before, something led her to believe that he was not joking, perhaps a glint in his eyes she hadn't ever quite seen before._

_"For now, we will start with genjutsu's."_

* * *

Sakura had to admit it -she had never felt so glad to be returning home. Actually, she lied, she could recall one particular instance of being more excited, specifically when returning to her present time, but that was beside the point. This mission had been grueling, exhausting, and annoying, and she couldn't wait to return. Just a few short hours, and she would be able to lay back down.

As was usual of the blonde, Naruto was waiting for them impatiently at the front gates of Konoha, the usual sloppy and cheerful grin splayed across his features. "Sakura-chan~~~!" And he characteristically started running towards Team Neji, or specifically Sakura, and promptly afterwards, he got characteristically punched away by the aforementioned pink-haired kunoichi.

"Get a grip Naruto, it's only been two weeks." she rolled her eyes.

"Only?" he groaned, rubbing his cheek tenderly. "It's _only _been two weeks?!" he repeated Sakura's statement, astounded by how Sakura could possibly think two weeks was such a short time. "Do you know what I've had to do to keep myself sane for these past two weeks?! It was bad enough that you were gone Sakura-chan. But then Tsunade-baa had to take Sasuke-teme from me too! I settled for _training with Lee." _His words were spoken as if they said all they needed to; which, in part they did, but whatever.

"We have to go see Tsunade-sama, don't waste our time dobe." Sasuke grumbled, not particularly caring to indulge Naruto with conversation. He was tired and cranky, and all he wanted to do was to indulge himself in a nice bath and his mother's cooking -and Saki's company, of course.

"Hai, hai." Even though he said this, he had no intention of leaving them alone, and as such followed the trio to Tsunade's office, all the while conversing with Sakura about his mission with Hinata to the Fire Daimyo and how she had nearly died of embarrassment after tripping on her own two feet and practically tackling the Daimyo. "I swear, I don't understand how Hinata is so clumsy sometimes. She seems nothing but graceful whenever I see her from afar, dattebayo."

Sakura snorted. "You need to get a clue already, Naruto no baka."

"You know, I've heard that a dozen times but still can't figure out what everyone means. Mind filling me in?"

Sakura contemplated this, but even if she was going to enlighten him or not, Neji cleared his throat, a sign for her to not go any further. Because clearly, he did not want that dunce with his most precious cousin. Sakura couldn't help but laugh, "You can figure it out on your own Naruto, I have faith."

No more words were spoken on the matter, particularly because Neji began conversing with Naruto, if only to not have the whole Hinata conversation somehow be brought up again.

* * *

"So how'd it go?" Tsunade asked expectantly.

"Operations ran smoothly." Neji began. "Both programs seem prosperous, although the medical program seems to be lacking in higher caliber medics."

Tsunade's eyes turned to Sakura. "They weren't good enough shishou." Sakura was blunt as she shrugged her shoulders. "They required more practice and teaching, teaching which I couldn't do because I had to help out with both programs." She added, allowing Tsunade to see her chagrin.

Yet, Tsunade seemed unfazed. "Hai, hai. You may go now, Neji. Thank you for the good work. And can you send Naruto in here while you're at it?"

"Hai, Tsunade-sama." And with a bow he dismissed himself, all the while Sakura began wondering what it was that Tsunade needed Naruto for. Her question was nearly just as quickly answered when suddenly Kakashi appeared with a puff of smoke.

"Yo, you wanted to see me?" He stated this as he shut his orange book, not having noticed the two other shinobi in the office. "Oh, you guys are back from your mission. How'd it go?"

"Don't ask." Sakura rolled her eyes. Clearly, she was still irritable and lacked sleep.

"Tsunade-baasan, Neji said you wanted to see me- ohhey Kakashi-sensei. Where have you been?" Naruto exclaimed, loud as ever.

"Around." Kakashi stated, as elusive as ever. Truth be told, he knew that with Sakura and Sasuke gone, Naruto would be bored out of his mind -and who did that leave for him to bother? It left Kakashi, that's who. As such, he had made it a point to go off the grid, so as to have Naruto's relentless annoyance be pushed on to another person, whoever that had been. "Anyway, you've assembled all four of us here. I assume this has to do with Akatsuki, then?" He changed the subject quickly.

"More or less." Tsunade stated, waiting for Naruto's childish antics to cease and Sakura's mood to change -which they did. "So you guys have told me, the treaty with Suna is running smoothly. As far as Kiri goes, the first drafts of our treaty have already been sent to Mei with TenTen and Shino."

"-And so we're focusing on Kumo now, I presume." Kakashi pitched in.

"Hai." Tsunade stated. "Of course, I'll give you two a few days of rest before you're all sent out again." she directed this statement towards both Sasuke and Sakura.

"So what's the overall objective here?" Sasuke muttered, glad to at least know they were getting a break before being sent off again -Kami knew how irritable Sakura would be if that were the case.

"This mission is strictly to inform the Raikage and the Daimyo of the actions we as a nation have taken over the course of these past few months, as well as to explain what our ultimate goal of unification was, of course insinuating that we would like them to join as well. I am aware that although we may be on relatively friendly terms with all of these nations, that they may not be with each other. As such I am assuming the role to advocate a meeting between all four of us Kages in order for them to formally get to know each other." Tsunade stated.

Sakura and Kakashi seemed to nod in agreement -this would, after all, be the best course of action, given that Gaara would absolutely say yes to the unification of these nations, and Mei was just as desperate, if not more, to do the same. In addition, Kumo really had no concrete reason to say no as it was.

"As for the team leader," she paused tentatively, eyeing all four of her shinobi, a curious arch raising from Sakura (Kakashi was _always _their team leader when the former Team 7 formed as one, no questions asked), "I'm going to switch things up a bit." No, it wasn't because she was bored, but because she wanted to test their abilities to engage with foreign or allied nations. A good Hokage had to be able to compromise and above all else, had to be well liked before everyone. "Naruto." The way she said his name startled him, making him jump up slightly.

"H-H-Hai?!"

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Stop acting like Hinata and listen. You'll be assigned the temporary ambassador to this mission, as such you are the formal leader this once. Of course, you will also be under the tutelage of the rest of your team, seeing as you are the only one who hasn't been named an official ambassador as of late, so if they have anything to tell you, you listen. This is your one chance at stepping up into anything remotely close to a Hokage-like role. If you screw this up your chances are becoming slimmer and slimmer, do you understand?"

"H-H-H-Hai!"

When had Naruto become such a stuttering fool, Sakura couldn't help but wonder as she watched in amusement, Naruto's face flushed pink as if he had been caught doing some sort of obscene act.

But how could he not be excited? This was his first time leading a formal team _-him!_ And if he did good he was pretty much _assured _to become the next Hokage ...right?

"Alright, I'll leave you four to your own lives. Naruto, it's up to you to coordinate with your team on your own time. Dismissed."

* * *

"How about some ramen to commemorate Naruto's descent into adult-hood?" Sakura teased, although her request was sincere -she was famished and wanted something fast and refreshing.

"As leader of this team-" Naruto's grin was wider than ever, "I allow this, and second the notion."

Oh Kami, it was already getting to his head. "Dobe listen-"

"Whoa whoa whoa, Sasuke-_teme,_" he emphasized, "as leader of this team, I will not let you insult me. You need to show some respect to your superiors. Clearly, Tsunade has finally seen my true worth as a shinobi and future Hokage, and...-" Naruto began stating, closing his eyes with an all-knowing and highly arrogant expression on his face.

He just kept talking, on and on and on -it was actually quite impressive, actually. "So... ramen...?" Sakura tested the waters, thinking that perhaps Sasuke was already too irritated to accept the invitation.

"I am quite hungry." Kakashi shrugged.

"Hn" Sasuke said nothing more as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Sweet." And so, the three of them walked on, neither interested nor caring about what Naruto had to say on the matter.

"-But don't worry Sasuke-teme, I will make sure to allow you the honor of being my secretary." And as he said this, he finally peered one eye open. "Sasuke-teme? Sakura-chan? Kakashi-sensei...?" Upon realizing none of them were standing before him any longer but were in fact halfway down the street, he panicked."Hey! It's not nice to leave me behind! As your leader I demand you guys wait for me!" And so he began running towards them.

"Whatever you say, Leader-sama." Sasuke taunted with a wave of his hand, not even looking back at his dobe of a teammate, none of them slowing just the slightest for Naruto.

Sakura giggled. "Cut him some slack. It'll be his first time putting on the big boy pants."

Sasuke let out something akin to a snort. "It's about time."

"Matte! Sakura-chan~~!" they could hear his incessant whine. He had definitely expected this from Sasuke, and even Kakashi. But Sakura? Of all people to betray him, her?!

* * *

"What are we to do about the remaining Jinchuuriki?"

"The Nine-Tails is, as things stand, out of reach..." Madara gave a small frown -to think that his own village was disrupting his plans. "The Six-Tails is currently off the grid -we haven't heard of him since the Gala. As such," the implication was clear.

"The Eight Tails, then." Pein nodded in agreement. "Shall I send Kisame and Itachi?"

"No." Madara shook his head. "We'll need intel before we can consider trying to obtain him. Deidara and Tobi will do this. It'll be an easy enough mission."

Pein nodded in understanding, and said no more as Madara's figure slowly disappeared into the darkness.

* * *

"Alright Naruto, you'll be fine, so long as you do as we told you to, alright?" Sakura attempted to give Naruto a small pep talk of sorts, mainly to inform him that he better not screw this up.

"Yeah, yeah, I've got this Sakura-chan! Dattebayo!" And so he gave her a characteristic grin, a thumbs up revealing to Sakura that Naruto was definitely not worried about this -which Sakura found odd.

And just as Naruto said this, a woman approached Team Kakashi now Naruto. "Raikage-sama is ready to see you four."

"Well it's about time!"

Sakura had expected to hear this from Naruto, a loud and obnoxious proclamation so inappropriate for the setting -he had never failed to do so, anyhow. But this time around, it was different. Dare she say it, but he sort of stood with... grace?

"Thank you for seeing us in such late notice." he _humbly _bowed, and followed behind the female kunoichi, even as his teammates stood back in confusion.

"Who is that and what has he done with Naruto?" Sakura muttered in a state of near frantic panic.

"It couldn't be that Naruto finally grew up." Sasuke agreed beside her. There simply was no way, after all.

Naruto, seemingly aware of Sasuke's comment, turned momentarily to glare at Sasuke. _Fight me _he mouthed, but sensing that the Raikage's apprentice was about to speak to him, he turned around quickly and pretended to have done absolutely nothing.

"Come children, don't diddle-daddle." Kakashi mused, following a few short strides from Naruto.

Sakura laughed, following suit. Her baka always did find a way to impress her.

* * *

"So what brings you four here?"

"We're here on behalf of Tsunade-sama's orders, of course." Naruto began with a bow, as he pulled from his scroll pocket a lone scroll, a sort of greeting that Tsunade had sent along with her shinobi.

(Was Sakura the only one who thought it absolutely weird that he hadn't referred to her as Tsunade-baasan?)

The Raikage seemed to read the contents of the scroll relatively quickly. "Alright. I'm listening."

"You're already well aware of the alliances we've started making." Naruto began.

"Hai." the Raikage acknowledged. "It was remotely concerning to hear Konohagakure obtaining an alliance with its previous enemies."

"Tsunade had deemed it best to unite against Akatsuki, as they have gone unchecked for far too long." Naruto acknowledged, sensing some sort of... what was it, contempt, in his voice?

"We were rather curious to know when you would be approaching us with the same offer."

"Tsunade deemed it necessary to guarantee alliances with those we haven't exactly been on the friendliest terms with." Naruto stated with a grin on his face. "How is Killer B, by the way? I haven't seen him in forever."

A, clearly unimpressed at Naruto's attempt to defuse his scorn, dismissed his comment. "And what makes it time to unite after so long? You know as well as I do that I've been saying this for years now. Why the sudden change?"

Naruto was for once at a loss for words. They had never discussed this after all. "Ummm... well..." he stuttered around, "to answer your question, we... etto..."

"We've finally obtained enough information on Akatsuki to proceed our plans accordingly." It was Kakashi who spoke in, Naruto clearly struggling.

"Yes, exactly. That is why." Naruto tried to be smooth, but it wasn't fooling anyone. "In addition, until just recently, Mei, the new Tsuchikage, was busy trying to establish their own internal safety before focusing outward. And the Kazekage has only recently seen the merit to our plan and has decided to join us." Naruto explained.

_'Way to recover!' _Sakura mentally commended him, giving him a mental thumbs up.

"Hmmm... so it seems..." he pondered this. "So what is this new found information?" he questioned.

Naruto tensed. "As far as that goes, perhaps that is something to discuss among Kages. Tsunade has yet to explain to us everything, until we have everybody united under one. As such, she has sent us here to extend this invitation to you. Seeing as you are a man of notable intelligence and insight, we figured it would be the easiest to get you on board. Please do not be offended that we look lastly to you."

"You're not very good at kissing my ass subtly, kid. Is this your first time or something?" A snorted, but nevertheless stood, making Naruto panic slightly. "So let's say I take up Tsunade's offer. What does this entail for Kumo?"

"Your full cooperation in taking down Akatsuki, of course. We would become allied nations, all of us," he added with emphasis, "which will hopefully extend much further than just past Akatsuki's elimination."

The deal sounded interesting enough, A decided. "I'm willing to hear Tsunade out." he declared, which shed years off of Naruto's life, even if he didn't show it. "But I require an audience with all of the Kages first, if I am to fully trust and cooperate."

"I'm sure that can certainly be arranged." Naruto nodded fervently.

"Alright, then Tsunade has herself a deal. I'll be in touch."

* * *

"So... How'd I do? I was good, nee, Sakura-chan? Nee, Kakashi-sensei? Nee-" He was going to ask Sasuke, but he quickly decided against it. After all, Sasuke would clearly not have anything nice to say. They were officially out of the village, after a small lunch and a few hours rest, and were on their way home. If they made good time, of which they always did, they'd make it back home either late tomorrow or the day after.

Sakura couldn't help but laugh at Naruto's exuberance. "You did well enough for your first time around. The Raikage isn't an easy nut to crack."

"YOSH! Rokudaime Hokage here I come!" he pumped his fist into the air in excitement.

Sakura laughed. "Calm down Naruto, you're still only a candidate, remember?" she mused. Her dobe truly did have to acquire some form of humility.

"Yeah but Sakura-chan, you're my only real competition here. I could kick Sasuke-teme's ass in a heartbeat, you see. And you wouldn't take the Hokage-ship from me, nee, Sakura-chan?" He easily skipped over the Uchiha foot that had conveniently appeared in the way of his path, all the while snickering.

"Half of us in the running wouldn't dream of it, Naruto." she stated with an amused expression, "You'd haunt us for the rest of your life if we took it, after all."

Naruto grinned. "See, Sakura-chan! I'm practically Hokage already!"

* * *

"There are Konoha-nin approaching our location. They seem unaware of us yet, un." Deidara muttered to his teammate, who was casually leaning against a tree.

"Oooh, Konoha-nin? What could they be doing in Kumo?"

"I don't know, but it can't be any good for us, yeah. We should bide our time and wait til they pass; I'm not willing to fight them again, un." He had lost an arm last time he had faced up against them, and his partner had encountered an even worse fate at their hands. Seeing as he had barely gotten a new arm and it was still in the process of healing, he wasn't willing to get into another altercation with them just.

"Again?" his teammate seemed intrigued.

"It's that pink-haired kunoichi and her bratty teammates, yeah."

Suddenly his partner, a childish man with a swirly mask, stood from his location on the tree branch. "You mean that pretty kunoichi Orochimaru-senpai brought to the base?"

"Yes Tobi, how many other pink-haired kunoichis' could I possibly be talking about, un?" Deidara glared. "Nevertheless, we'll wait for them to pass. I was sent here for reconnaissance, and nothing else. I don't plan on losing my life today, un."

"Hai, Deidara-senpai!"

* * *

There seemed to be a sudden pick-up of the wind, a rather odd event, for it had been an unusually breeze-less week.

_Mistress, I sense danger_

Sakura tensed almost immediately. Her contract had never been wrong before, and she doubted now would be any different. Kakashi seemed to be the only one to notice this subtle change in her, having been the only one beside her, Sasuke and Naruto just a few feet in front of them arguing about Kami knows what. "Sakura?" he questioned.

"There's something coming..." she muttered under her breath. "I don't know what, but something... doesn't feel right."

Kakashi surveyed the area. There was nothing off -everything was calm, with no indication of having been disturbed by any sort of human contact. "Nothing seems amiss." he muttered under his breath, although casual.

But suddenly there was a loud shriek, one nearly blood-curdling in fact, and it was just a few meters ahead of them, high in the trees. And within the next instance, a man dropped to the floor unceremoniously, in a frantic state of panic.

"SENPAI! GET IT OFF OF ME! GET IT OFF! _SENPAI ONEGAI!_"

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Deidara glared as he was forced to appear alongside his teammate.

"B-B-But senpai..." he clung on to his senpai's leg, quivering, until said senpai picked up the caterpillar on his shoulder and flicked it away.

"I swear if we make it out alive I'm so going to kill you."

Because just a few meters before them was Team 7, Naruto and Sasuke having immediately regrouped with Kakashi and Sakura upon hearing that shriek. Silence ensued in the clearing, no one making a move, although Sakura was exceptionally petrified to the bone.

_The masked Uchiha_

This had been no accident.

"They are headed towards Kumo." Sasuke muttered under his breath.

"That can't mean anything good." Kakashi seemed unfazed, even as he glanced at Sakura and saw a sudden sweat drop trickle down her brow. What had gotten into her?

"Nee, should we try to fight them? There's only two of them." Of course Naruto would pick the most dangerous choice, Sakura couldn't help but think in outrage.

"By the look of Deidara's reluctance to fight, he's still injured." Sasuke's Sharingan was already ablaze, almost as if insinuating that perhaps they should take this chance. For once, he and Naruto were on the same page, it seemed. "Tobi is-"

_"No" _

Sakura's sudden hiss made them all look back as she looked on in trepidation. "We're disengaging and fleeing."

"Sakura-chan? What's wrong? It's only two o-"

"Naruto." The way she said his voice silenced him altogether. "You're not fighting me on this. We're leaving." It wasn't even a suggestion, and Sasuke couldn't help but wonder when their team had become a Sakura dictatorship.

The way she held herself, as if they were already in combat, made Kakashi deathly aware of the fact that Sakura knew with great certainty that they would not win this battle. But how? Any one of them could defeat Deidara given the opportunity, which meant that the one she was afraid of was not the Iwa nin, but the other masked stranger. Nevertheless, he had always trusted Sakura's judgement, and he wasn't about to stop now.

"We're disengaging. Sakura and I will cause the distraction. Sasuke, you and Naruto flee to Kumo at once and alert the Raikage."

"What?! Kakashi-sensei-" he grumbled in protest.

"Naruto." Sasuke was beginning to catch on, and as such warned Naruto not to interfere.

Alas, Kakashi's word was law, even if Naruto was the official team leader. And so Naruto and Sasuke took a few steps back, making sure neither Deidara nor Tobi made a move towards them (of which they didn't, Tobi still on the floor watching on in mild curiosity and Deidara alongside him, his arm already molding some clay), until they began on a full-fledged sprint the opposite direction, back towards Kumo.

"They're... disengaging?" Deidara muttered under his breath, confused.

Meanwhile, there Tobi was, still on the floor clinging on to Deidara's leg.

_Yes, they were... but why?_

Suddenly there was movement in front of them, as the pink-haired kunoichi suddenly smashed her hand into the ground as Kakashi simultaneously created a Water technique, creating mist all around them, one so thick Deidara could not see more than two feet in front of him, just as a sudden earth-shattering technique literally split the ground in two, creating a great chasm between the two groups of shinobi.

Not only were they disengaging, but they were making great effort to leave. Almost as if they expected a much bigger fight from either of the two shinobi.

And Tobi knew it wasn't Deidara they were afraid of.

"Tobi, not only did you nearly get us killed, you ruined the mission. They'll be alerting Kumo, by the looks of it."

"But senpai... the caterpillar..." and as he said this, he felt a sudden squirmy, squishy sensation on his hand.

"SENPAI HE'S BACK!"

* * *

"You intercepted Akatsuki?" The sudden threat in A's voice was clear to both Naruto and Sasuke. "Where is the rest of your team?"

"They stayed behind to disengage."

A thought through this. They were securing the safety of their Jinchuuriki -an act rightly justified. "Mabui. Go send two squads. Make sure they're out of our land immediately, and bring Killer B here. If they're here that means they're here for him. And go find the remaining Konoha nin."

"Right away sir." said kunoichi was gone in the blink of an eye.

"You did the right thing to come back here and alert us." A commended.

Neither Sasuke nor Naruto replied, both too preoccupied wondering if Kakashi and Sakura were okay.

* * *

"They're fleeing." Kakashi muttered, crouched down alongside Sakura atop a tree, sensing the two chakra patterns of the rogue shinobi. And with the fleeting signs of their chakra, came the relief that they were safe. Within fifteen minutes, Kakashi dispelled the jutsu and examined the clearing. "Although, I am likened to agree with Naruto and Sasuke on this one; there was no real threat with Deidara. Tobi... that's who you were afraid of, right?"

Sakura gave a curt nod, recalling his figure, and connecting it to that of the one she saw in the past. "He's an Uchiha..."

The words lay heavy on him, his eyes widening. "...But how do you-"

"I fought him Kakashi... the day of the massacre. I don't know how, but Itachi knew him somehow; they were connected in the massacre."

"And?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

Sakura paused. "I should have died Kakashi."

"And why didn't you?"

"Because I wasn't meant to." and as she stated this, she turned back, heading towards Kumo once more.

"Well that's highly convenient." Kakashi joked.

Sakura snorted. "Look Kakashi, let's just say that somebody took my place in fighting Tobi. Same appearance, same chakra, same everything, but probably stronger than I am, and she died that battle. I don't know what happened. I just know she's gone." She recalled Kikyou's presence in her mind. She hadn't heard from inner in months; it was hard to believe she was still there at all honestly, but Matsuro had told her otherwise.

Kakashi remained silent. Never mind the fact that none of that made sense, if he was basing his assumptions off of the premise that Sakura had just given him, then if that Sakura-but-not-Sakura person had died, then they had all perhaps been in peril. "He showed himself to us on purpose."

"He did." Sakura confirmed. "And he had the chance to attack; given, I think he didn't want to blow his cover in front of the other Akatsuki member and as such he didn't. He was baiting us. And had it been up to any of you, we would have fallen for it."

But now the question was: Who was his intended target?

Something told Kakashi something was amiss here...

Within fifteen minutes of their travels back to Kumo, they were suddenly surrounded by six Kumo shinobi, all of which quite strong and terrifying looking. "Akatsuki took off around five miles southeast of our destination." Kakashi explained as soon as they had been approached. "We intercepted them at around the same location."

"Are either of you injured?" one of the shinobi questioned.

"Not a scratch on us." Sakura notified with a nod. "I take it our teammates made it back safely to Kumo?"

"Hai. They're under lock down with A and B in his office."

"I thank you for the backup. Are we safe to return to Kumo to pick up our teammates?" Kakashi inquired.

"We'll have two shinobi escort you back, in case a disturbance occurs."

"Hai."

And so Sakura, Kakashi, and two miscellaneous shinobi continued walking on their way towards Kumo, while the remaining four shinobi continued onward towards their given location.

* * *

"Got any twos?"

"Goldfish"

"Damn it..."

"Dobe, give me your queens."

"What are you talking about? I don't have any queens." Naruto acted oblivious, an arched eyebrow directed towards Sasuke.

"You're lying." B snickered.

"Oi! You're supposed to be on my side B! Dattebayo!" Naruto frowned.

"I want my queens, baka."

Sakura and Kakashi looked at each other. Their teammate were kids; absolute kids. "Who even cheats at goldfish?"

Yes, the three of them had been so focused on their game, that they hadn't even sensed Sakura's or Kakashi's arrival to the Kumogakure tower.

"Sakura-chan~~~!" Without even batting an eyelash, Sakura side-stepped, allowing Naruto to face-plant into the wall behind her when he attempted to hug her to death. "You're so cruel Sakura-chan..." he cried as his face made impact.

"I see you two made it back safely. You disengaged as Sasuke and Naruto stated, then?"

"Hai. We gave your shinobi the coordinates of our previous location." Kakashi stated.

"Very well. If you do not mind, my shinobi will accompany you to the borders of Kumo, just as a safety precaution." A stated, his eyes flickering to assess the bodies of the Konoha-nin, to assure himself that they were indeed not injured.

"That is very kind of you. Arigatou." Sakura bowed. "Are you two ready?"

Naruto sighed, getting up off the floor and rubbing his tender nose. "Hai... I'd just about beat Sasuke-teme anyway." Sasuke gave him a pointed look, but said nothing more; no need to stoop to Naruto's childish level, after all.

And so, after the four shinobi bid their goodbyes and once again thanked the Raikage for their hospitality, they were off in a quick dash (the faster they got away from Kumo and back to their home country, the better, after all).

* * *

The journey back to Konoha had been uneventful. A had informed Tsunade of Akatsuki's presence in Kumo and of the intervention of Team Naruto (Kakashi). Needless to say, Tsunade was a little disturbed by the news, but there had been no harm done at the end of the day. Truthfully speaking, she had expected something bad to happen. She had won a minor prize at the lottery, but she had expected this to mean that Naruto had bombed the attempt to bring up a treat. Luckily, it hadn't.

"He did just fine, shishou." Sakura commended her blonde teammate, "for the most part," she added as an after thought.

"Sakura-chan!" he complained with a pout. She was supposed to be on his side, damn it!

"I kid, I kid." Sakura laughed.

"Nevertheless, you guys took care of the job and got back in one piece. Good job." Tsunade commended them -but this was meant mostly for Naruto nonetheless.

Naruto couldn't help but grin. "This means I'm a sure fire winner for the future Hokage, nee, Tsunade-baachan?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "It means you haven't fallen behind in the running just yet, don't get so full of yourself Naruto." She couldn't help but smirk at the deflated expression of Naruto's at the mention.

"Falling behind? Does that mean I'm not in the lead?"

"Sasuke, Naruto, you guys are excused for now." She refused to respond, mainly because she didn't want to get into this conversation with Naruto; not now, when there were more important things to discuss.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, but said nothing more, assuming that Tsunade wanted the details of their disengagement from the Akatsuki earlier that week. "I'll be waiting outside, Sakura." And so he and Naruto walked out of the building, both waiting respectively for Sakura (and Kakashi, if he'd like to join them), for them to return to the Haruno Compound together to perhaps have a nice dinner with Mikoto and Saki.

Once they left, Tsunade's expression got a little more serious. "I'm assuming you've filled Kakashi in on the identity of the masked Akatsuki member." Tsunade more so stated than asked.

"Hai."

"So according to the report given to me by A, it seems more like he... deliberately appeared before you? If the information you told me once you first arrived from the past is accurate, anyway." she questioned.

"It's as we suspect." Kakashi nodded. "He wanted to be found, perhaps to have us engage on him, is what Sakura and I have deduced. Under normal circumstances, I don't think we would have lost if we had, after all."

"What were they even doing there? Were they truly going to attempt to capture the hachibi?" Tsunade asked.

"By the looks of it, no." Sakura shook her head. "As powerful as I suspect Tobi to be, he definitely made no indication of wanting to show off his strengths in front of his partner. Clearly, he's the puppet master behind the scenes, hiding behind the guise of a silly and inept Akatsuki member. It does the trick, truly." Sakura agreed. "Regardless of that though, Deidara is still too weak to even attempt to capture a Jincuuriki. This was reconnaissance." Sakura summed up her theory.

"Making it a safe bet that B is their next target."

"But why him? Next to Naruto he's probably the safest Jinchuuriki out there, not to mention the magnitude of his strength. Why not attempt to go for Gaara again? Or Utakata?" Tsunade seemed perplexed.

"My theory is that this isn't just about the Jinchuuriki." It was Kakashi who spoke suddenly, gaining confused expressions from his two female counterparts. "Think about it. They saw us in Suna, and they attacked. They found out about our attempts with Kiri, and they attacked. Now that we go to Kumo..."

"and they attack..." Sakura gasped, her eyes widening. "Itachi was right. They're trying to limit our alliances." Sakura muttered under her breath.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, _Itachi was right, _Sakura?"

Sakura's eyes widened. She should not have said that. "W-W-Well... you see, funny stor-"

"You met with him?"

Sakura flinched at the anger it her tone. "Hai... the night of the gala, after Kisame's capture. We exchanged words."

"What was he doing there still?" Tsunade was eerily aware of the incoming headache that was creeping its way into her brain.

"I don't know." Sakura was honest. "Gomen... I just... I couldn't be entirely sure that he wasn't lying to us, so I just... kept quiet. There was no way of proving it, anyhow..." Sakura shrugged. "As such, I figured there was no reason to act as if Itachi's word was law..."

Tsunade sighed. "Well in the spirit of honesty, what else did he say?"

Sakura recalled her last interaction with Itachi. "Not much else... Other than the fact that Orochimaru defected immediately after my escape from the base." she sighed as she stated this. "I asked him of Tobi's real identity... I figured if anyone knew that it would be him, seeing as he accepted his help for the enactment of the massacre, but he refused to tell me. He said it was too dangerous to know..."

"If Itachi fears him then its enough for us to worry. Why do I get the feeling that he's the key to solving this whole Akatsuki dilemma?" Tsunade sighed, massaging her temples.

"Probably because he is. You can't trust masked strangers." Kakashi shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. "But I can't help but wonder..." Kakashi paused, his bored eyes staring at Sakura, who looked at him in question. "Is it too dangerous for Konoha to know his real identity... or is it too dangerous for _you _to know his real identity?"

The sudden thought left them all genuinely wondering this."I don't see what Tobi would want from me." Sakura shook her head in denial.

Kakashi didn't respond immediately, Tsunade staring expectantly at him. Obviously, there was something going on his his brain. "I suppose you're right. For now, there isn't much we can do on the matter; we should perhaps focus on furthering our plans, then. What's next on the agenda?" Kakashi asked.

"Well, I must first and foremost appease A's demand. He's a strong addition to our side. I'll need to set up a Kage summit, and talk to Gaara about inviting Iwa to join us. The whole bad blood thing was a load of crap on our part to get the Elders on board to join the cause, but I know Gaara won't refuse including them. For now, you two can go get some rest. I'll call you once you're needed."

"Hai." And so the two of them bowed, and promptly left the building, although a thought lingered in Kakashi's mind.

Tobi was obviously targeting someone back in Kumo when he revealed himself. The obvious reason would be for Naruto, but if they weren't ready to capture the hachibi, then there was no way they could even attempt to capture Naruto; like Sakura had stated, their mission had more than likely been solely for reconnaissance. So if not Naruto, and if not him (because who even cared about him other than the bounty on his head in the bingo books?), then that left either Sasuke or Sakura. And what could Sasuke possibly have that Akatsuki wanted? Nothing. He was still not as strong as Itachi, and it wasn't like he had a Mangekyou at his disposal; Saki would have seemed like a more viable target than Sasuke at that point.

Tobi's intended target was clear to him.

But for the life of him, he could not figure out why...

* * *

Tobi was left uncharacteristically pacing in his room, his thought frantic. That kunoichi, the Haruno, knew something about him. She had to, hands down. Because Tobi acted and definitely seemed like the weakest person in Akatsuki, and between the four of them and any other team, perhaps they wouldn't have had a problem fighting, especially because of Deidara's injured state. But they had ran -not only had they ran, but it had been that very same kunoichi that had demanded they run.

Something was up, and he had to get to the bottom of it.

It was time for a little road trip.

* * *

Itachi couldn't help but wonder why Sakura always had the misfortune of running into Akatsuki members. Firstly it was Orochimaru and promptly afterwards Konan, then himself, then the joint combination of Deidara and Sasori. And after that it was he and Kisame, and now Deidara once more, but with a new installment.

Tobi.

Or as he knew him to be, Madara, but that was beside the point.

It was almost like she was a magnet, attracting trouble from miles and miles away. If Tobi had expected to see some sort of expression in Itachi's face at the mention of Team 7, he hadn't gotten it.

But she had fled; rightly so, but she had fled nonetheless, and it meant trouble for Sakura. And how could he know? How could he be so sure?

Well, Tobi had disappeared that very same night, under the pretext that he was out of his hard candy and needed to go buy some more. Which they all knew was not true.

And so he casually slipped into the library, knowing full well that Kisame definitely wouldn't say anything, and neither would Konan, and that Deidara was none the wiser. So long as Zetsu wasn't there, he was fine.

Konan had been casually scribbling away at some paperwork when she had felt his presence grow near. She had thought that perhaps he was simply passing the hallway, but upon feeling him pause in front of the library door, she knew something was up. He waited patiently, almost as if he were indirectly asking if she were alone and if it were safe to come in. She checked, double checked, and triple checked, and upon identifying that there was no one else anywhere near them, cleared her throat loudly, an indication for him to come in. "Sakura's in trouble."

Although alarmed, Konan didn't know what to make of the news presented upon her by the elder Uchiha, and as such tried her best to remain as calm as possible. "She's always in some sort of trouble, or so I've come to find. What is it this time?"

"Madara has set his sights on her."

There was a pregnant pause, almost as if Konan believed she hadn't heard right and wanted Itachi to repeat himself. But upon his gaze on her, she knew this to be no mistake. "...And why would he?" Konan seemed perplexed, although the mention of Madara's involvement did spark some fear into her being.

"...I don't know..." He was truthful. For the life of him, he could not figure out why Madara cared so much about some measly little shinobi, and what he had planned. But for some reason, he was after her nonetheless. "He may be catching on to Sakura's real identity."

"Her real identity as a time traveler, or her real identity as the clan heir?"

"Is that relevant? Either of which will get her killed."

Konan contemplated this. "It must be her identity as the heir, then." Konan nodded with certainty. "Rumor had always held the heir of the clan to be the strongest shinobi of her time. Madara must feel threatened by it."

"We cannot be so sure." Itachi warned.

"And why not? How would he know she traveled to the past?" Konan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. It only made sense. Kisame had known her in the past and hadn't been able to make the connection -so why would Madara?

"Madara has crossed paths with the Sakura you and I know."

Konan's eyes widened. "What?"

Itachi wasn't proud of it, but there was no going back now. "He aided me in the destruction of my clan. He has fought her." If he were able to take it back, and deny Madara's involvement in any of it, he would, if only for the sake of her anonymity to remain.

If Konan had known this from the very beginning, she swore she would have locked Sakura away in a box and left her there. "Where did he go?" she spoke as she stood up suddenly. She had sensed him leaving, but had not bothered to ask around why. After all, anything that Tobi said was a perpetual lie nonetheless.

"I cannot track him." Itachi shook his head slightly. "His space-time jutsus make it impossible to do so. Furthermore, were I to do it, he would know."

Konan's hands balled into tight fists. "There's no way Madara would step foot in Konoha. So long as she remains there, she will be fine."

Itachi pondered this. How long could it possibly take Madara to dispose of her if she wasn't expecting it? Probably not long. If she were alone, he could go in and out and no one would be the wiser until long after she was dead and Madara gone. "We should not count on it." And so he turned in a hurry and began exiting the room.

"Where are you going?" It was not a demand, but a perplexed question.

"I'm going out."

Konan blinked, but it was already too late. He was gone in the blink of an eye.

* * *

_"Danzo-sama." A lone Root operative spoke, in a usual hunched over, knelt down position._

_"You may speak." Danzo demanded. "Have you researched what I asked you to?"_

_"Hai." The nin gave a small nod._

_"Well?" Danzo waited patiently._

_"The chakra limitors in question were not damaged in any way. They were working fine upon their initial use."_

_Danzo pondered the information. "You may go now." Accordingly, the nin disappeared, leaving Danzo to his inner musings._

_So why had the pipsqueak Haruno lied?_

* * *

At a certain point, in between Kirigakure and Konohagakure, lays a quaint tomb, covered in flowers and trees and all other sorts of greenery, so much so in fact, that if you didn't know what you were looking for, it wouldn't look like a tomb. But it was nonetheless, a tomb created approximately half a century ago, for a female clan leader of a particular clan, prestigious in name but mysterious in power.

And said grave, which had been left at peace for over fifty years now, was suddenly disrupted on this particular day by a lone shinobi, with a swirly orange mask.

_It's not here._

_Where is it?_

He had looked everywhere for the god forsaken scroll -in fact, he was sure that it had been left there. He was told as such by Madara before taking up this alias. Which meant, that if it wasn't here, that somebody had taken it.

_'It should have never been left here.' _he deduced with disdain. As clever as Madara thought himself to be, he had made a fatal flaw in leaving the Harunos' Time God at the tomb. He had been too cocky, thinking that with the assassination attempt, everything would go smoothly. He could understand his train of thought, though. Without a Haruno left alive and no one else with a pair of Petal Eye's left, then their Time God was useless.

But if it was gone, if _she _was gone, then there was only one person who could have it.

In the hands of the Haruno, in particularly someone who he believed to be the heir, this could only mean trouble to their plans if he didn't act swiftly and accordingly

His suspicions had been right all along. And with that he vanished, set on visiting someone, someone who he had not spoken to in months, but someone who could probably still be used on this particular occasion.

* * *

**End of Chapter**

**Chapter is a little bit shorter than usual, but I didn't want to split up the part following this one. Hopefully the length of next chapter will more than make up for this one. There'll be some more itaxsaku next chapter, and some more action ^-^ And we'll slowly start to unravel the mysteries of the Haruno Clan in the next 2-3 =] I'll leave that here as a spoiler x)**

**You'll come to find that within the next few chapters, things will finally hit the boiling point and spiral out of control. I'm looking forward to typing this up, but by no means will it be easy so please bare with me x)**

**So Tobi finally makes his move ^_^ And we see the emergence of Danzo~~ :o Genuinely curious to know what you guys think so far. Is this going the way you had expected it to? If not where did you think I was going with it? And what do you think will happen next?! SO MANY QUESTIONS I WANT ANSWERS TO! PLEASE TELL ME! APPEASE MY SMALL WISH AND ANSWER THEM!**

**I'm estimating this story probably won't go on much longer than 20-25 chapters max, but I think I might add another installment, one probably no longer than 5-8 chappies. We'll talk about that once we're nearing the end of this part though.**

**IMPORTANT A/N**

**Calling out the original creators of my OC's back in SNP! **

**Himawari - earthlover**

**Marika - hyuugalove001**

**I wanted to ask if there is any pairing you would like for your oc. Marika, I kind of already chose cuz I liked it, so sorry, but if you'd like to dictate anything else between the two of them, then please let me know ^_^ I gave you the option of creating your own OC and incorporating it into my story, and I think I should go back to my roots a little and let you decide. As for Himawari, the slate is clean, so if either of you are still out there, don't be afraid to PM =} I'll do my best with what you give me / tell me ^_^**

**Also, quick question. Do you guys even care for these flashbacks? No one has really made an input on them so I wont work so hard on creating them if no one cares for them.**

**Any and all feedback is much appreciated =]**

**-MarzSpy**

**P.S. More reviews increases the likelihood of me updating faster ;]**

**P.P.S. I've made an updating schedule for myself, of which you can find in my profile. I updated a week and a half earlier, just because I'm in a good mood and I've gotten everything done beforehand. In addition, school starts next week so I'm going to need motivating reviews to help keep my spirits and work load up =D **


	13. Orochimaru

**Here's the next chapter, nice and lengthy for the abnormally shorter chapter last time =} and arriving earlier than planned. I hope I don't disappoint with the upcoming fight scene - I tried my best, I swear :c**

**More A/N after the chapter =] For now, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters in any way, shape, or form.**

**Chapter 13: Orochimaru**

* * *

"Orochimaru-sama, you have a visitor. He says you two have business together."

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow at the silver-haired nin. "Bring him in." There was only one person he had struck a deal with, and he hadn't seen or heard of him since fleeing Akatsuki. So what had caused a change now?

Yet, this order fell on deaf ears, seeing as the "visitor" had welcomed himself in, regardless of Kabuto's instructions for him to wait outside of the base, not that Kabuto could figure out why Orochimaru's former partner, Tobi, was here to visit him (although, odd enough, Orochimaru had been very specific in telling Kabuto he was a friend, despite how often he had heard the snake saanin mention he wanted to kill him). "It's quite a nice base you've got here." He couldn't sense the presence of the nin, but he could hear his voice: Madara, although he was donning his typical swirly orange mask, he was sure. Accordingly, Orochimaru gave a nod, a sign for Kabuto to leave them in privacy, of which he did fairly quickly.

"I make do with my resources." Orochimaru gave a curt nod. "What brings you here?" For some reason, Orochimaru couldn't help but feel he wouldn't like the reason. He knew dealing with Madara would be like playing with fire, after all; and was he up for the risks?

"In regards to our deal," Madara began. "I find now to be the best time to act." he stated, almost casually, as if they weren't talking about kidnap and murder.

"I've barely recovered from my fight with Pein." Orochimaru showed clear distaste of the idea. "Furthermore, I'm not even certain that the kunoichi even is the heir."

"She is." Madara confirmed. "I went through the liberty of finding out for myself. I am certain she is. And I need her out of my way at once." he demanded.

Orochimaru couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. He couldn't even begin to imagine why Madara felt like this matter had to be taken care of with utmost urgency; what did the Uchiha know that he did not? "An operation like this will take time. I don't even know of her current whereabouts. I can't simply-"

"I do." Madara cut him off with a steely tone. "She's in Konoha now, with the rest of her kinsmen with the exception of one I haven't been able to track. A perfect opportunity to strike nearly all of them at once. The last one can be eliminated another day; she serves as no threat so long as the heir is out of the way."

"All the more reason to not attack now." Orochimaru stated in an irritated fashion. Did Madara think he was dumb? He was trying to get him killed, surely. "The best tactic would be to get them when they are separated, alone and vulnerable. To pick them off one by o-"

"This isn't a suggestion, Orochimaru." Madara's voice held some form of threat in them. "I'm giving you a fair warning. Capture your heir and dispose of the rest. Or I will. And your precious heir won't be saved if I get my hands on her, you can be sure of that."

For the longest time, Orochimaru remained silent, and un-moving, for that matter. "Give me a few weeks."

Madara's eyes narrowed. "You have one." Madara could waste no time. Every day she lived was another day she could possibly get in the way of his plans.

Orochimaru accepted this, although begrudgingly. It's not like he had any chance to argue regardless, seeing as Madara had disappeared after that without so much as another warning. His eyes narrowed in irritation, contemplating his next choice of actions. Defying Madara was not an option; if Pein could defeat him so easily, chances are so could Madara. And there was no escaping this opponent.

* * *

There was a knock on Tsunade's door, bright and early the next day. Truth be told, it had been an unusually slow morning, all of her shinobi back from their missions as Tsunade planned out the Kage summit that was to come. As such, everyone knew she was busy and left her to her own devices. "Come in." she hummed, unusually calm despite the fact that Shizune had prohibited her from drinking her liquor while drafting the treaties.

"Yo!"

Tsunade looked up from her paperwork, her eyes landing on a familiar face. "Kakashi? What are you doing here? I didn't call you in." Truth be told, Kakashi hardly even came _when _called. So why the sudden change? "I gave you all a rest period."

"I know." he acknowledged with a nod, his hands stuffed in his pocket. "I come about a different matter."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, momentarily putting her pen down. "I'm assuming this has to do with Sakura and Tobi, then." She had known he had been suspicious of something the previous day, but it had apparently not been something he wanted to approach with Sakura still in the room. As such, she had waited patiently for him to acquire information and come back to her accordingly, although she had not expected him to come back so soon, truth be told.

"Hai." he gave a curt nod.

"As we already know, he showed himself on purpose. He had an intended target." Kakashi implied.

"And you think it was Sakura?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow; truth be told, she had had the same theory, although she clearly had no way of proving it.

"Who else could it be? Surely not me or Sasuke. And if they weren't ready to capture the hachibi, it's likely they wouldn't be ready to capture Naruto either."

"But in the case of Naruto there were only four of you compared to an entire village. I'd assume that'd be their best window of opportunity." Tsunade muttered, countering Kakashi's statement.

"Hai, but like Sakura said. This had been reconnaissance. Deidara didn't seem at all inclined to fight, leading me to believe that this had all been Tobi's idea."

Tsunade remained quiet. "Then it's safe to say he's catching on to Sakura's identity. They have met before, after all. I can see no other reason for Tobi to do as he did. What if Kisame told him?" Tsunade spoke warily. Other than Itachi, the only other people in Akatsuki that knew of Sakura's time-travelling experiences were that of her Haruno Clan's member, of which she doubted had anything to do with this, and Kisame, of course.

"I wouldn't be too certain of that." Kakashi sighed. "Kisame is certain of Sakura's... particular circumstances. The manner in which Tobi had approached us... he had been uncertain; cautious. He was watching her, almost as if he were analyzing her skills and actions. If Kisame had told him he wouldn't have tip-toed around us. He would have wiped us out without giving it a second thought, regardless of whether or not he wanted Deidara to know the extent of his power. As such, I believe he found out on his own."

"If what you say is true, then there is a possibility that he will come after Sakura, given the fact that he went out of his way and revealed himself, if only to test and possibly fight and kill her. Although I do not know why he has this interest in her, it can't be any good." Tsunade's tongue clicked in irritation. "Kakashi. Keep a close eye on her. And alert Sasuke and Mikoto of this. Sharingan eyes will be the best to have under these circumstances. And don't let Sakura know. No need to make her panic when this is just a safety precaution."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama." and so he gave a slight bow, and began walking away, wondering why it was that Tobi had set his sights on his student.

* * *

There was a sudden knock at the door at the Haruno main household. They had a visitor, apparently. Sasuke had conveniently been in the kitchen for a quick refreshment, and as such was the first to arrive at the door, although he could hear Saki's quick footsteps approaching, perhaps due to curiosity. "Kakashi-sensei?" It had been the one person he hadn't expected to come.

"Yo!" he, once again, greeted with his typical slang, as Sasuke stepped aside and allowed him to pass.

"What brings you here?" he questioned.

"Actually, there was something I wanted to discuss..." he glanced at Saki and then back to Sasuke, almost as if insinuating that she could not listen in on what they were going to say.

"Sakura isn't in at the moment." Sasuke stated as he turned around and returned to the kitchen, Kakashi following behind him. "She went out shopping with Himawari and Ino. But you're more than welcome to wait here, if you'd like."

"Actually, I had something to discuss with you and Mikoto." the sudden fact made Sasuke raise an eyebrow. "Preferably when Sakura _isn't _in."

Sasuke paused, processing this information. "I'll get Okaa-san. You may meet us at the usual spot. Come on, Saki." And although he stared at Kakashi with confusion and curiosity, he was quick to pat Saki's head and usher her onwards, away from the kitchen.

"Hai, Onii-san!" and so she followed behind her brother, wondering what it was that Kakashi wanted -and why was he keeping secrets from his Sakura-oneesama?

* * *

"What business do you have with us, Kakashi?" Mikoto started out curiously. And why did he not want Sakura to know about it, above all else?

They were now sitting around a low square table with a shoji door open to admire the outside scenery, Saki playing with the koi fish in the small fish pond nearby -a way for her to not be alone, but still give them the privacy that Kakashi had asked for.

"It's about Sakura." Kakashi began, as his eyes shifted towards Sasuke. "In particular about the events that happened during the Uchiha Massacre." The statement got both of them on edge, instantly tensing up.

"Sasuke and I don't know anything about what happened that night, other than what Sakura has told us." Mikoto stated.

"Hai." Kakashi acknowledged with a nod. "This is about what she failed to mention; either for your own safety or because she deemed it irrelevant at the time." He took a deep breath then, knowing that this would hit them a lot harder than he wished it to. "There was a second co-conspirator to the Uchiha Massacre."

"..."

"..."

The silence lay thick, both of them processing this information. "Had Danzo..." Mikoto's unspoken statement held in the air, subtle rage bubbling up within her although the only indication of it was her tone.

Kakashi shook his head, knowing what she would have asked. "As far as we know, Danzo was not even aware of his involvement. He did this willingly."

"Do we know of his identity?" Sasuke asked, opting to remain calm for the both of them, despite his anger at the revelation.

"No. But we have more than enough reason to believe he was an Uchiha -a powerful one at that, with a pair of Mangekyou eyes on top of it." He knew that wouldn't be the easiest thing to hear -but he had to tell them, if only for Sakura's safety. If he was going to assign Sasuke to be a protective detail to Sakura, then he had to know what they were up against. "But more importantly, this leaves us with the confrontation a few days ago." Kakashi stated, trying not to linger on the fact.

"With Akatsuki?" Mikoto raised an eyebrow. Sasuke had told her all about it, after all. But how did two Akatsuki members correlate back to the destruction of her clan?

"We have reason to believe that this second Uchiha... resides in Akatsuki."

"Tobi?" Sasuke's eyes scrunched up in confusion. It now made sense, why Sakura had been so adamant in retreating, why she had seemed so deathly afraid, and why, moreover, she hadn't even _considered _fighting them even when Akatsuki was clearly out-numbered and injured to boot.

"Hai." Kakashi acknowledged with a nod. "He dons a mask very similar to that which Sakura had seen during the Uchiha Massacre, so it was implied to me. We know his intended target hadn't been Naruto."

"It had been Sakura?" Mikoto gasped.

"Tsunade and I believe so. We think she may be in danger."

Sasuke remained silent. He knew the implication, but couldn't get over the fact that his own kinsmen was doing this to them -willingly. Itachi was a different story, he had now learned. Despite the blood on his hands, he was ultimately innocent and regretful of the actions he had to take. Of this Tobi character? It didn't seem like it -not in the slightest, which made him wonder who this was. "Do we know when they'll strike, if it all?"

"No." Kakashi admitted regretfully. "But war is looming over the distance. Given Sakura's reputation of attracting trouble to her doorstep and this supposed prophecy over her head, it can't be good. And as Tsunade and I have surmised, the best way to counter an Uchiha is with another Uchiha." He hadn't personally heard the prophecy, although from word of mouth, he had managed to surmise that she had power beyond that of any notable shinobi. Although truthfully, he could see how Sakura's power was great, he didn't know how it would spike to such great lengths to ultimately aid them in winning this impending war.

"I'll keep a close eye on her." Sasuke promised. Sakura had always been taking care of him, in some way or another, all throughout his life. It was time he repay that favor, even if this was all he could offer her.

"I'll be trying to obtain some knowledge on the matter -knowing his identity will be the best for us in the long run." And as he stated this, he stood. "Thank you for seeing me in such short notice. And as Tsunade has ordered, she expects this to be kept in utmost secrecy, even from Sakura."

"I'm always here anyway. And not to worry, she won't find out." Mikoto dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "Anyway, are you staying over for dinner, Kakashi?"

There was a sudden glint in Kakashi's eyes. "I mean, I wouldn't want to intrude Mikoto, but if you insist I can't possibly say no."

Sasuke couldn't help but snort. "Mooch." He was no better than Naruto no baka.

* * *

It was a bright, warm day in Konoha, Sakura on her way to Ino's flower shop for a quick lunch with the pig-girl before she had to return to the hospital to finish off her shift. It had been roughly two days since she had returned to Konoha from her mission in Kumo with her Team 7, and she had to admit that days of structured chaos were much better than surprising encounters with Akatsuki. As such, she was more than glad to be clocking in hours at work. But suddenly, as she rounded the corner, there was a screech of her name, a voice that could only be one person.

"Sakura-chan~~!"

It was Naruto, running at her with top speeds, although she could distinctly see the figures of Neji, Sai, and Hinata behind him. He steadied himself after he had arrived just a few feet away from her. Weird, seeing as Naruto always tried to tackle her whenever he saw her, but never mind that for now. "What's going on?" she questioned, wondering why Naruto was hanging out with such a peculiar group of people (because let's be honest, Hinata only ever fainted around Naruto while Sai made it extremely obvious that Hinata had a thing for him, poor girl).

"I've been assigned to a mission, Dattebayo!" he grinned, flashing a thumbs up. "Although I begged for Tsunade to let you and Sasuke-teme on the team, she refused. I'm sorry Sakura-chan, it looks like it's your turn to see me go."

"I think I'll live." Sakura sweat-dropped, just as the remainder of Naruto's team approached her.

"L-Leaving the hospital s-so early Sakura?" Hinata greeted her with a small smile.

"Just on my lunch break. I thought I'd swing over by Pig's work to share a quick lunch." Sakura shrugged. "I see you guys landed yourselves a mission."

"We're sending over the treaty papers with Kumo." Sai informed her.

"How fun." Sakura remarked sarcastically. Because truth be told, it never was, having to speak in front of the Elders and anyone else of significant power for hours, explaining why the treaty now, and how everyone will benefit from it and so on and so forth.

"Hn" the male Hyuga grunted in agreement. "We should get going so we arrive as scheduled."

Naruto frowned. He wanted to speak to his Sakura-chan a little longer, but unfortunately, he had not been chosen as the team leader this time around (but what was even that great about the Hyuga bastard anyway?), and as such could say nothing on the matter. "I'll see you in four days Sakura-chan~~!" And so he gave her a bear hug, one she couldn't run away from, although she'd be lying if she stated she wouldn't miss her baka. They said their goodbye's fairly quickly, and they parted ways, although a thought lingered in her mind -why had Tsunade ordered Naruto out of the village? He was usually confined to Konoha unless he was out with Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke, after all.

* * *

_'I can't believe I'm doing this.' _Orochimaru thought angrily. Allowing himself to be manipulated by someone had never been the plan -but if he wanted his Haruno heir, he had to take her now, before it was too late. As such, he had had no choice but to travel to Konoha, a two day trip, just so that he could stake out the kunoichi's whereabouts.

It had been difficult to track her without stepping foot in the village so as to not alert anyone, but he had finally found her in the heart of the village at the hospital, where she presumably worked. From there, unfortunately, he could not capture her. He would need her at the Haruno Compound, where she would already be at the edge of the village, near the forest where he could get in and out without alerting anyone immediately. But how would he do it? Entering the compound was far too dangerous -he would come into contact with not just one, but potentially six Hanabira-me **(Petal Eye in Japanese, correct me if I'm wrong xD), **and two Sharingan on top of it.

_'No... I'll have her come to me...' _Orochimaru grinned maliciously.

* * *

The sun was already setting by the time Sakura was making her way back home. It had been a relatively easy day at the hospital, of which Sakura was grateful for. All she had to do now was return home and indulge in Mikoto's dinner, as well as perhaps allow herself the luxury of taking a bubble bath. _'Ooooh, that sounds delightful.' _Sakura grinned in glee, happy with her resolution.

Upon entering the household, she came to realize that the only people there were Sasuke, Mikoto, Saki, and Kakashi, although Saki was currently outside playing within the confines of the forest. Marika was once again gone to visit Shisui, Daichi off with Shikamaru and Shino, and Sayuri off doing her personal affairs with Ibiki. Hiroto was probably off trying to get a date, and Himawari was off training with Kiba and Lee.

"Kakashi-sensei. What brings you here?" Sakura raised an eyebrow. Truth be told, he had been here regularly since they had come back from their mission. Which was odd, because he was usually trying to escape his responsibilities of training Saki with the Mangekyou and as such would hardly step foot in the Haruno Compound.

"No reason," Kakashi shrugged, "other than Mikoto's cooking, that is."

Sakura sweat-dropped. "I swear, Mikoto should start charging you at this rate."

"I've taken care of her precious children for well over half their lives. I think I've paid my dues." Kakashi joked.

Sakura snorted, but said nothing.

"Welcome home Sakura-chan!" she could hear Mikoto's greeting. "Dinner will be done shortly! Can you go gather up Sasuke-kun and Saki-chan please? Sasuke was in his room and Saki practicing her shurikenjutsu in the forest!"

"Hai." and so she went to Sasuke's room, where she knew she would undoubtedly find him, and called him over for dinner, and then made her way to the forest. "Saki-chan! Dinner's ready!"

But she got no response. As such, she went further into the woods, thinking in strange that Saki would even go so deep anyway; she usually hung around the clearing right before their back yard met the forest, and if she wanted kunai practice she'd go a little further down, but that was it. "Saki-chan?" She repeated again, a little more loudly than before.

Suddenly she heard a twig snap and she turned rapidly. "Saki-ch-" But the person before her was neither female nor Uchiha, nor anyone she welcomed here, for that matter. "You," she glared. "What are you doing here? Where's Saki?" her hand began to slowly creep towards her kunai holster, her eyes darting left and right for any indication of a booby trap.

"Kukukuku. That's not a very nice way to greet me after so long." he declared casually.

"I won't ask you again. Where's Saki?" her body was tense, her chakra already spreading in search of either more enemies, or of Saki.

"If you want her, come get her. And tell no one or the kunoichi dies." And suddenly the clone vanished in a puff of smoke, the clone of a snake-like saanin that had already attempted to capture her twice before.

Sakura's eyes darkened as she contemplated Orochimaru's words. Now that she was here, Orochimaru had no use for an Uchiha, especially not one so young. In addition, since he didn't know she had a Mangekyou, Saki was useless to him -he would carry out his word if she didn't follow through with his commands. As such, she approached one of the trees and placed a gentle palm on it, and then pushed some of her chakra into it and closed her eyes in concentration. The trees were connected; if there was one way to find them, it was through them.

_'There!' _she pin-pointed their whereabouts with relative ease and disappeared in a flurry of sakura petals without wasting any time.

* * *

When Sakura arrived where she had felt Saki's presence, she noticed everything was quiet -too quiet. She could not feel anyone other than Saki, who, from her point hiding in the foliage of the trees, she could tell was tied against a random tree trunk with chakra limitors. She was unconscious, but not dead. Orochimaru had probably put her in a genjutsu, she surmised.

"I've been waiting for you, Sakura-chan."

Sakura wasn't at all surprised that Orochimaru had discovered her; it wasn't like she was trying to mask her presence anyhow. "Let her go." she demanded, a hardened glare falling on the man who appeared in the clearing, alongside Saki.

"If you want her, then you need to come get her." Orochimaru smirked. "Or you can come with me willingly, and she's free to walk." Orochimaru suggested, although he knew this was probably not an option for her.

"I'll stick with the former, thanks." Sakura snorted in anger. "And after I'm done with that, I'm going to kick your ass." she sneered for added effect, her blood pulsing with raw anger.

"Those are bold words coming from the kunoichi that was captured by me without so much as a fighting chance last time we met." Orochimaru taunted. "Need I remind you how quickly you fell?"

"Before, you caught me by surprise. Tonight things will be different." she declared boldly. Honestly, she wasn't proud of what had happened that night. She had been too relaxed, caught off guard, and too confident that nothing would happen. But what with all the enemies she had faced thus far, Itachi, Sasori, Orochimaru (twice), and Tobi, she now knew she didn't have that privilege of getting lucky.

"Oh I'm hoping for it. It's time I see the strength of the true heir." Orochimaru smirked maliciously. "There's no running away this time, kunoichi."

Sakura snorted. "I wasn't planning to." He had come to her home. He had sought her out, and endangered her entire family in the process, in particular that of Saki, who had been caught in the middle of it all despite her clear innocence. For this, he would pay. _Dearly._

Silence ensued, Sakura's eyes glowing a bright gold all the while. She would not let Orochimaru get away with this. But suddenly she heard a rustle of a bush, movement somewhere alongside Orochimaru, yet he did not seem alert nor nervous of the sudden movement of what she could see were humans. "So you brought along your friends?" Sakura sneered, her eyes narrowing.

"It's nothing personal, Sakura-chan." he hissed with a smirk. "I need to make sure I capture you this time -it's my last chance, after all. As such, I'm not taking any chances, I do hope you understand."

Last chance to capture her? And why would that statement hold true? Clearly, Orochimaru knew something that she did not.

Before she could ask her question though, suddenly there was movement behind her, a male shinobi with some sort of sound technique, one which she easily saw coming and as such had time to evade. But just as she managed to get by unscathed suddenly three more shinobi made their appearance around her, two of which she was hardly concerned over but the other one, the silver-haired, glasses-wearing nin, she knew was not someone to take lightly. And further on behind them stood at least four more, Sakura could tell.

"Kabuto."

"So we meet again, kunoichi." his hands reached towards his glasses as he pushed them up. "How long has it been since the Chunin Exams when I first met you?"

Sakura didn't bother with a response. This was all just a distraction, she knew, and as such she didn't bother with the formalities, her eyes instead glowing bright for a few seconds, before the ground before them began to shake. "You made a mistake in coming here. This is my home. My territory." And as she said this a large Sakura tree erupted from the ground, its branches already flaying around wildly. Her mistress was in danger, and she would waste no time in protecting her. "And you will pay for it."

_'I need to get Saki out of here. Keep them busy.' _Sakura's eyes glanced briefly to that of Saki's figure.

_'Hai, Sakura-sama.'_ And as she said this Sakura's fist immediately collided with the ground, a tremor so big forcing the shinobi around her to back away or risk being crushed. Sakura then immediately made the hand signs for a clone jutsu, as about half a dozen or so Sakura's emerged from within the chaos.

Yet, even as Sakura made to run towards Saki, Kabuto seemed to have other ideas, his palms already glowing blue. "You're not getting away, kunoichi." Clearly, he had seen through her diversion tactic.

Sakura's tongue clicked in irritation. "Then I guess I'll just have to kill you." Sakura's eyes grew dark. She knew him to be strong, and would have even been a little fearful of fighting him a few years ago, but things had changed now. She had faced off against Sasori and won, and she had faced off against Itachi and had held off her own remarkably well. And with her Flower Eye, there wasn't anything he could do to her, so long as you was fast enough to dodge -of which she was, she decided.

But getting close to the nin was dangerous -if he so much as touched her once it'd be game over for her, just because she would be left vulnerable, and as such easy pickings for the snake sannin before her -and it only grew trickier once she saw Kabuto pop a small, round pill in his mouth and chew on it quickly.

Distance would be her best friend here, which truly sucked, given the fact that Sakura was a taijutsu specialist.

* * *

Her stamina was better than most -an impressive feat to still be able to stand after not only defeating three of his henchmen after coming home from a long day at the hospital, but still fighting Kabuto all the while, Orochimaru couldn't help but commend. She kept a weary eye on him, knowing that he was bound to strike at any given moment, and it was true, for he had been searching for any opportunity to just swoop in and strike whenever she let her guard down. But he knew if he didn't bide his time and secure the perfect moment, that his hostage, the only leverage he had, would be taken from him and Sakura would be gone in a blink of an eye.

After all, who would want to purposely get into a losing fight? A one versus ten? She would recapture Saki and flee the millisecond she had the chance to, he knew, and she knew he knew.

For now, he'd just sit back and relax, and enjoy the spectacle before him. It didn't seem like she would tire any time soon, anyhow.

* * *

There was a small tremor, one which neither Uchiha nor Sharingan wielding Hatake had missed, and they looked at each other in concern.

It had been worrying enough that Sakura had not returned with Saki and it had been well over ten minutes, but earthquakes were few and far in between in Konoha. "It's nearby." Sasuke stated. It seemed to reside from the forest deep within the Haruno Compound, something that couldn't just be a coincidence. Kakashi could feel the point of impact, and considering he hadn't heard birds cawing in fear anywhere else but in the forest, it was clear to him that no one else besides them had felt the tremor -it had only hit one specific, remote location.

Sasuke and Kakashi looked at each other, and telepathically stood and began to run towards the backyard. "Mikoto stay here. We have yet to hear word from Saki." Kakashi ordered, although Mikoto had no time to answer as they were both already sprinting towards the forest.

Mikoto's heart thumped against her heart wildly. _Where was her daughter?_

* * *

Sweat dripped down Sakura's forehead. She was far from done, but Kabuto didn't seem anywhere willing to give up just yet. It had been hard to concentrate on her battle with Kabuto, in addition to the miscellaneous shinobi trying to jump her at random times and keep tabs on Orochimaru all at once, but with the help of her contract and a few shadow clones, she was managing to hold her own remarkably well -not that this meant she could keep this up for much longer.

She would tire eventually, and with Orochimaru lurking in the background this was not a good omen.

_'Mistress there are more shinobi approaching.' _her contract spoke. And just this statement had Sakura zone out for the briefest of moments -yes, she could sense the two approaching chakra paths, but knew them to be of no threat.

In fact, the tables had just turned.

* * *

Kakashi always found it amazing how Sakura seemed to get herself into trouble. She had one job: to find Saki and alert her that dinner was served. So why was it that when they entered the clearing, they saw Sakura surrounded by five (three already on the floor, dead) or so shinobi, and Orochimaru just a way's away?

And why Orochimaru? Why had it not been Tobi? Nevertheless, this was not his concern at the moment.

It seemed the shinobi knew who they were, because they rightly backed away in trepidation and gave themselves the time to regroup themselves as Sasuke and Kakashi appeared alongside Sakura. Kakashi glanced her way for the briefest of moments, examining her physique. "Are you hurt?" he muttered.

"No." Sakura allowed herself the time to wipe the sweat off her forehead during this rest period. "He has Saki." It's not like they couldn't see that though, Sasuke's eyes already bleeding red, his hands balled into tight fists. "Sasuke-kun, Kakashi and I will create a distraction. You get Saki and get out of here." Sakura stated, her golden eyes fiercely staring at Orochimaru's smug expression, even as her reinforcements arrived.

"I can't possibly leave you two alone with them. If anything you should take Saki and flee." Sasuke countered, eyebrows scrunched up in defiance.

"He's after me. If I go, so does he. Do you think it wisest for me to lead him to where Mikoto is? Where the entire village is?" Clearly, this question wasn't genuinely meant to be answered, for the answer was already quite clear to all of them.

Sasuke guessed Sakura had a point with this. Sakura and Kakashi were both strong enough to fend for themselves, even against Orochimaru, and his place was to protect his family anyway; it always had been. Unhappily, he grunted in agreement. "Hn"

* * *

Orochimaru couldn't help but frown, seeing how things had played out. He knew help would have eventually gotten here, but he hadn't expected it to be that quick. She had not alerted anyone after all, so why had they come so soon? Nevertheless, it would be harder to capture his Haruno with the Uchiha and Hatake around, and as such it was probably best for him to dwindle the numbers.

As such, he left his position alongside the unconscious Uchiha princess, and instead focused his efforts on a string of hand signs, even as the Uchiha flickered alongside Saki, cut the chakra limitors, grabbed her falling body, and then fled the scene quickly. By the time he was out of the clearing, Orochimaru had finished his summoning, and before him appeared two giant snakes, brown in color.

The large snakes, of which Sakura knew to be some of his largest although nowhere near as big as Manda, were coiled around awkwardly , not able to unwrap themselves completely due to the clustered foliage around them. Clearly the snakes were at a disadvantage, given the terrain, and if Orochimaru was smart, of which he was, he wouldn't want the large snake heads poking out of the trees -someone would easily spot them and come to help them, after all.

"You're lucky Manda is too large." Orochimaru merely commented. Truly, he would simply have Manda's fury were he to summon him here of all places. No, he would save Manda as a strict last resort, only if everything else failed and he was out of cards.

Sakura and Kakashi didn't have much time to strategize as the shinobi once more began to surround them. "Kakashi, I'll handle Orochimaru." Sakura stated. "They want me alive -the same cannot be said for you."

And it was true, Kakashi supposed, and as such he could not argue against her, although the thought of his student fighting a legendary sannin did not go well with him. Given the option, they would kill Kakashi without so much as a second glance. Sakura held some value in Orochimaru's eyes, so despite their battle, he would not hurt her in the slightest, as far as a crippling injury goes anyway. Why would Orochimaru want a broken human vessel, after all?

Kakashi didn't have any time to comment though, as suddenly there was movement, Kabuto and the remaining four shinobi attacking as both the snakes simultaneously thrusted their tails towards Sakura. The first step was to split up both shinobi and give each other room, lest they intervene in each other's battles and aid one another, after all.

Sakura had led Orochimaru and the snakes deeper into the forest, far enough so that Kakashi would not get caught in any sort of cross fire, but still close enough where he could be aiding her within a moment's notice if need be. And as their fight started, Sakura began dodging abilities and attacks from both snakes and Orochimaru, needing time to accustom herself and get into the rhythm of their attack patterns. She could not counter them if she could not accurately plan against them, after all.

It had taken her nearly fifteen minutes, all the while Orochimaru and his snakes relentlessly attacking her, until she finally felt confident enough to get on the offense. As such, she waited for one of the snakes to attempt to coil its thick body against her own. She waited until the last moment and then used the Body Flicker Technique to teleport behind him and run the opposite direction, going in all sorts of directions until the snake had chased her to its complete length. She remained un-moving atop a tree, even as the snake held its fangs open for her as she prepared to charge. He was but a few feet away from her but she remained unshaken as she simultaneously charged at him. Just as he had reached her, suddenly he stopped in his tracks, unable to move any further, just as Sakura appeared before the snake and with a well-aimed punch atop him, she brought it hurling to the ground.

The snake had tied itself in a knot, a plan that would only work within the foliage of the dense forest. The only way she would win here was by taking advantage of every factor she could, the battle site included.

But she had no time to celebrate her small victory as Orochimaru appeared before her and sent hundreds of small snakes towards her, a jutsu which she easily countered with one of her own, the very same flower style technique Hiroto had taught her many years ago. So these snakes lay sliced by Sakura petals, and Sakura disappeared before the other large snake appeared, leaving Sakura cornered. She needed to regain some distance while she still could.

Unfortunately, it was hard to do with the other snake still hunting her, and just as the ground began to shake, one of the snake appeared below her, the ground erupting as the snake, fangs wide, attacked her. In an instant she used the Body Flicker technique once more and teleported away, waiting until it's full length protruded from the ground until she grabbed his tail and pushed all the chakra she possibly could into her hands. It had taken some effort as the snaked thrashed against her grip, but she had managed to hold her own fairly well.

Yet, as she was getting ready to throw him, she suddenly saw the snake wrap its upper body around the tree, grounding him down. Using it as a fulcrum point he gained momentum and overthrew Sakura's steady grasp and suddenly he was the one with a grasp on her waist as she was suddenly hurled across the clearing. It wouldn't have been too hard to get back on her feet, but suddenly the second snake, apparently free from its restraints, erupted from the ground as well, and Sakura could not stop herself from being flung directly into its mouth, her Sakura tree not able to get to her in time.

But Sakura was nowhere near done, despite her location inside an enormous snake's mouth, and as such she flailed around wildly. _'If only I had some sort of weapon...' _she cursed at herself. She had come from a shift at the hospital, for Kami's sake -as caught off as ever! Sai's tanto would have been useful right around now. But if she didn't have a sharp weapon at her disposal, then she would just have to make one, and with that thought she clung onto the snake's fang and with one sickening crack suddenly it broke off, enough pain for the snake to open it's mouth and release her.

Orochimaru had to admit he had sort of seen this coming, and as such wasted no time in opening his mouth and allowing his long sword to extend all the way to Sakura's location. But with a fierce glance his way she directed the fang currently in her hand towards him and immediately deflected the Kusanagi, as it's length embedded itself inside a miscellaneous tree trunk alongside her instead.

Before Sakura had no time to react, for the other snake was once more on her from above, Sakura just barely missing its attack with a high jump in the air. While Orochimaru was busy removing the sword from the tree and the now one-fanged snake was still writhing in pain, this gave her a perfect opportunity, and as such she had to make use of it. With a powerful, chakra lacked kick in mid-air, she plummeted the fang downwards with all her might, pleased when it connected atop the snake's head. She landed on top of it, the snake presumably dead. But just for precautions sake, Sakura pushed the fang down further and then, with her chakra-enhanced grip, thrusted it all the way down the snake's length, successfully slicing the snake in two.

One snake down, two to go.

Sweat beat down her brow as she examined her handiwork, Orochimaru now free and the other snake once more ready to attack. Although relatively uninjured, she was left with low chakra and as such knew she could not continue this for much longer. She had to get rid of them fast.

Orochimaru seemed to use Sakura's exhausted and distracted poise to his advantage, shooting his elastic tongue her way, hoping to get a choke hold on her. It nearly seemed to work, Sakura noticing it much too late, but within the next second a Sakura tree branch extended and took her place. Using this opportunity to her advantage, she gripped on to his tongue and with one powerful pull, suddenly Orochimaru was sent flying towards her, her hand readying a punch to his face.

Yet, Orochimaru seemed ready for this (Kami, this kunoichi and Tsunade had very similar tendencies), and as he grew close suddenly his Kusunagi appeared from his mouth, already out and aiming for Sakura's body, while a shadow clone seemed to simultaneously emerge from the side and cut down the Sakura tree.

Sakura's eyes widened, realizing her mistake. He was coming at speeds far too fast, and knew she wouldn't be able to dodge the blade, especially not after Orochimaru's tongue once more wrapped around her body, rendering her arms useless all the while, the tree no longer there to save her. The blade pierced her shoulder, a deep cut that had probably severed her muscle and connective tissue.

As she struggled against his grip, Orochimaru removed the blade and instead held it up to her throat, a threat for her to cease her movements. "It's over kunoichi." he hissed with a pleased smile on his face, just as the last remaining snake moved and suddenly coiled itself around Sakura, tightly gripping her body, and lifting her up off the floor.

_'No... It can't be...' _Sakura's eyes widened alarmingly, even as she was starting to suffocate. There had to be a way out of there, she just had to think. But the lack of oxygen to her brain was affecting her ability to think, especially after being clouded over by pain, and soon enough the constricting pain had become unbearable. Her lungs were on fire and her vision began to blur, but just as she felt herself ready to pass out she saw movement, a black blur too quick for her to make out as she was suddenly freed from her restraints and Orochimaru was flung to the opposite end of the forest.

She was in a free-fall, unaware of her surroundings or of what was going on until someone caught her. All too quickly the air rushed back into her lungs. "Breath" it was a command, one which Sakura didn't need, but the mere voice was enough to send her out of her thoughts, near the brink of passing out.

Her vision was still hazy but from her location in his arms, there was not one ounce of hesitation or confusion in her eyes. She knew who this man was -and it sure as hell wasn't Kakashi, and it wasn't Sasuke either.

* * *

It was dark.

An infinite sea of shadows, one which she knew she could break away from if she had enough concentration. But it was unbearably lonely here, and as much as Saki concentrated, she could not break free as panic filled her being. Who had kidnapped her? She had never met the man before, but whoever he was, surely Sasuke-nii or Mikoto-kaa or Sakura-neesama or Uncle Kaka would find him and rescue her, right? They would eventually find out she was missing and come to her aid, right?

But she shouldn't expect for them to save her -she should be able to at least break this genjutsu, of all things. She was an Uchiha, an Uchiha with the Heaven's Eye and the Mankeyou to boot, for Kami's sake, and she couldn't break free. But clearly, having this alone would not help; she needed the strength to do so as well, and, if the difficulty of dispelling it was an indication of anything, it was that whoever had cast it on her was extremely skilled.

_'Focus Saki. Focus.' _She knew an easy way out of this would be to just activate her Mangekyou and reverse the genjutsu, but she had been warned by Kakashi of its dangerous effects, and she wasn't about to start using it at eleven years of age. _'Just disrupt the chakra flow...'_

Although she told herself this, time and time again she tried but could not, even as she could distinctly hear and feel movement around her.

Had someone discovered where she was? Was she saved?

It had been a few more minutes, perhaps around ten, when suddenly a force not her own abruptly dispelled the genjutsu and she was left to fly her eyes open as she sat up with a gasp. "Saki-chan?!" It was her Okaa-san's voice as she felt her strong, warm arms wrap around Saki's small figure. She looked around frantically, only to come face to face with Sasuke, his Sharingan eyes on.

"Okaa-san there was a snake man... I tried to run away but then... then..." she couldn't quite remember.

"it's alright Saki-chan. Sasuke rescued you and brought you back." Mikoto smiled reassuringly. "Everything will be alright now."

But even as Mikoto said this, she could feel Sasuke still immensely tense alongside her. "I have to get back, Okaa-san. Sakura needs me."

The mere mention of Sakura's name made Saki panic. Had something happened to Sakura? Now that she thought about it, she should be back from her shift at the hospital by now. "Where's Sakura-neesama?"

Neither Mikoto nor Sasuke seemed inclined to answer this, knowing that Saki would put the blame on herself for the way that things had ended. Yet, their silence said all it needed to, and it caused Saki to panic that much more. Plus, she supposed it didn't help when they visibly saw and felt another small tremor erupting from the same location they had just come from. "Don't worry Saki-chan. Sakura is strong. She can handle herself -and she has Kakashi with her too." she tried to comfort her youngest, even as she saw Sasuke try and slip away.

"Sasuke Uchiha." she barked. "You will not return, do I make myself clear?" Mikoto always had a way of making her word law.

"Okaa-san, Sakura-"

"Has ordered you to stay away. This is her battle, and you will respect her wishes." Mikoto didn't even bat an eyelash as she approached Sasuke, giving them just the tiniest amount of privacy to talk freely.

"Her wishes are ideologically biased from the need to protect me." Sasuke glared. "I will be fine."

"And you can't blame her for this." Mikoto nearly hissed. "She's invested nearly her entire life on you, Sasuke, be in it her own timeline or this one." It was but a low whisper. "You caused her a great deal of pain, and she wants you to stay out of trouble because of it. If you want to help her, then go alert Tsunade. If there's anyone able to fair against Orochimaru, then its Tsunade. I'll see if I can get a hold of any of the Harunos'." she stated.

Even though Sasuke did not necessarily agree with Mikoto, he knew that Tsunade would perhaps be able to do a great deal more than he would. Who better to scare away a sannin then another sannin, after all? As such, he accepted his mother's (and Sakura's) wishes, and made a speedy run towards the Hokage tower.

* * *

Orochimaru couldn't help but growl uncharacteristically as he got himself back on his feet, his eyes darting in rage to find whoever had just ruined his chances of capturing the Haruno. Whoever it had been, it was strong -agile and powerful, enough so that Orochimaru hadn't even sensed him approaching, nor attacking, for that matter. Strong enough to have knocked him out of his feet and almost instantly kill his last remaining snake with a clean slice, successfully decapitating the aforementioned snake.

But suddenly his eyes landed on the cloaked figure holding on to the kunoichi in a bridal sort of fashion, and he couldn't help the manner in which his eyes uncharacteristically widened.

Because how could he have ever expected that her savior would be the very same Uchiha Itachi that had saved a kunoichi nearly identical to her from a very similar situation many, many years ago? Never mind that fact, but why, moreover, was Itachi here, rescuing the kunoichi and going against the orders of Madara, who Orochimaru had recently learned to be the real mastermind of Akatsuki? Surely Madara didn't know he was here, then? It was actually quite paradoxical to see the Uchiha there, donning his Akatsuki cloak, going against the instructions of his leader. Truth be told, it was actually kind of amusing.

Then again, the Itachi he remembered had never been too keen on letting himself be pushed around, he couldn't help but think with a smirk.

* * *

She was still gasping for air, long after she had been rescued from Orochimaru's grasp, although she couldn't entirely identify whether it was because of the snake or because of the man standing before her.

"Can you stand?" he hardly spared her a glance as he asked his question, although his gaze hovered over her injury longer than she had expected it to.

"H-Hai..." her voice came out hoarse and slightly strained, but Itachi put her down nonetheless as they faced their foe as a sudden cloud of smoke appeared -a summon.

* * *

He was running out of time. By now, Sasuke had probably already arrived at the Haruno Compound with his little sister, and he was either coming back to aid them, or coming back with reinforcements -more of them.

As such, his being here and his motives had already been discovered, and as such he had no choice but to pull out all the stops, regardless of how drastic it may seem and how angry Manda would be with him.

* * *

It was large -larger than Sakura had expected the purple snake to be, but then again, she had never actually seen it first hand anyway. And they were going to defeat that -yes, _they,_ if Itachi saving her and still standing there was an indication of anything. "How's your chakra?" he muttered. By the looks of the destruction, and the presence of Hatake Kakashi a way's away with at least two more living shinobi fighting him, he could tell he had arrived late.

"Low." Sakura admitted truthfully. Alas, her chakra reserves had never been the greatest. "But I can manage. Do you have a plan?" she was genuinely hoping he did. Nothing in her arsenal could fight against something that big -her chakra was far too low to summon Katsuyu now, not that even the giant slug could defeat the snake, she knew.

Itachi glanced at Sakura. "A few."

That was good enough for her, and so they prepared themselves for the massive snake before them, his tail flailing aimlessly in warning and irritation as he spoke to Orochimaru, currently standing atop his head.

"You sssssssummoned me for a girl?" Manda seemed less than pleased, an understatement, as he glared at Orochimaru. He swore, if he were strong enough, he wouldn't mind coiling around the sannin and watching him slowly and painfully die.

"She's stronger than she leads on." Orochimaru offered a malicious smirk. "And I need her alive."

Manda glared, but said nothing further -he could not deny his contract, despite how furious he was about the situation at hand. With a flick of his tail he suddenly sent several trees flying, uprooting them altogether and allowing him room to move as he eyed his victims. Just two shinobi -it wouldn't be too difficult, he supposed. And so, with that thought in mind, he charged.

* * *

Their teamwork was impeccable, almost as if they had worked on it and refined it for years. Even as Orochimaru summoned more snakes, they had all easily been cut down, to the point that Orochimaru's attempts could nearly be considered futile. But all they had done thus far was just hold their ground defensively -no offensive strikes whatsoever from the Uchiha, an odd tactic he knew Itachi was not accustomed to. So why the change?

Clearly, although it hadn't affected him, his summoning was a different story. He was too cocky -a smug summoning who thought himself invincible and all-powerful. As such, it came as no surprise when Manda began attacking recklessly, irritated by their constant dodging and intricate weaving of defense. When one shinobi got too close, suddenly a Sakura tree emerged and rescued them, or Manda discovered that it had all been a genjutsu anyway, causing him to have slaughter some of his own men (snakes).

It was infuriating, so much so in fact, that some would even say that he was blinded with rage.

An act that both Sakura and Itachi had expected, and had waited patiently for.

"We'll kill them both in one go." Manda ordered -he no longer cared that Orochimaru had desired his captive alive.

Orochimaru's eyes widened frantically, but he did nothing as Manda suddenly charged, opening his mouth and spewing forth a noxious gas, one so big it encompassed the entire arena. Immediately afterwards, he buried underground.

He would get them this way.

Sakura had been prepared to summon her Sakura tree to shield them from the harmful toxin, but just as she was about to, Itachi appeared alongside her, holding her firmly to his side by placing his hand around her waist. She looked at him questioningly, but as she turned to gaze at him she noticed that his eyes were now developed into the Mangekyou Sharingan.

What was he planning?

It happened all too quickly as she felt the ground below them shake, and in the next second she was enveloped by what seemed to be red, chakra-like flames, manifesting into what seemed to be like an armored structure as it erected fully. _'Susanoo.' _Sakura's eyes widened as she eyed Itachi, who seemed completely in control of the situation.

But why wouldn't he be? Manda had attacked blindly, and this was the pristine opportunity to attack. The moment Manda erected from the ground he was suddenly tossed backward, tackled into several trees as he was pummeled to the ground, Itachi's Susanoo pointing a blade directly at Manda, one which pierced him in his belly and immediately had its effect.

A blade Orochimaru recognized, and as such made him immediate flee from the scene. _'The Sword of Totsuka.' _He had been searching for it for years; never would he have imagined it to be under the possession of Itachi's Susanoo. Before Manda knew what was going on he was being sucked in, and with an uncharacteristic yelp he was gone within a moment's notice, not that Itachi paid all to much attention to it.

"Sakura. Stop Orochimaru."

Even though she was amazed by how easily Itachi had taken down the summoning, she wasted no time in summoning her Sakura tree, as the ground below them began to shake. It sprouted right in front of Orochimaru's fleeting figure, its branches flailing rapidly towards the Oto-nin. The distraction bought them enough time, as Itachi disabled his Susanoo and they were freed from its confines as they went on to chase Orochimaru. And with one final genjutsu on Itachi's part, when Orochimaru had finally realized his mistake he was securely locked within Sakura's contract, all four of his limbs tightly secured to prevent his escape.

They approached him casually, Itachi's Mangekyou eyes spinning dangerously all the way.

Despite how dangerous the situation seemed to be, Orochimaru couldn't help but laugh at the irony of the situation. "I never thought I'd see you here, Uchiha Itachi." he responded slyly.

Itachi offered no response as a kunai suddenly appeared in his hand.

He would end this.

He approached Orochimaru slowly, Sakura standing back and watching the scene before her.

"Aren't you curious to know why me? Why not the person that wants her dead?" Orochimaru questioned. Itachi's step faltered, all the indication that Orochimaru needed. "It's too bad you'll never find out -if you kill me, that is."

Itachi's hard gaze never left Orochimaru's. "I don't need to." And so he continued, his kunai just inches away from Orochimaru's throat when he suddenly felt a flare of chakra behind them.

"Sakura!" he heard a shout, and no sooner, the Sakura tree keeping Orochimaru captive suddenly released him immediately, its branches going elsewhere. Orochimaru took this time to dash away, and Itachi turned to see Sakura falling down with a loud shriek of pain, a silver-haired shinobi with glasses beside her, his hand glowing blue.

But the tree was on him all too quickly. simultaneously ripping a hole through his mid-section and chest, and securely wrapping its branches around the fallen Sakura, just as Kakashi had arrived at the scene.

Kabuto had gotten away from him, immediately after seeing Manda fall, and through the poisonous fog and debris in the air, Kabuto had managed to slip away from their battle. It had only taken Kakashi a second to understand what had happened, but by the time he had tried to warn Sakura it had been too late.

Itachi turned his dangerous eyes on the retreating figure of Orochimaru, but disregarded him for the briefest of moments to tend to Sakura, breath once more jagged and erratic as he surveyed the damage. He turned to look at Kakashi, having not entirely seen what he had done.

"He took a chakra scalpel to Sakura's heart."

The news was concerning, but even as tears pooled at the corner of Sakura's eyes and streamed down her face, she faced him, "Don't let him get away..." it was all she could mutter, the pain too unbearable.

Itachi looked at her for a few more seconds, and disappeared in a flurry of ravens, all intentions of killing Orochimaru.

* * *

Orochimaru knew he wouldn't get far before the Uchiha caught up to him. As such, it came as no surprise to him when black flames surrounded him, blocking him from his route to safety. He turned, nearly casually, to face the Uchiha. "Don't worry Uchiha Itachi. Kabuto knew not to kill her." he stated. "But the life of your precious Haruno is at stake here, now more than ever. I'm sure you know as much, though." Orochimaru stated smugly. "Madara will come after her soon enough once he learns of my failure. You know it as well as I do. I wanted her alive. He doesn't. Her and all her other kinsmen."

The silence lay thick between them. "We both want her alive. Would it really be best to kill me?"

Itachi did not respond immediately as he eyed the nuke-nin. Then, without a warning, Itachi appeared alongside him with a kunai in his hand. "Yes." and so he pierced Orochimaru's jugular, not that it mattered as his figure disappeared with a puff of smoke, replaced by an idle log.

He glared, closing his eyes as the black flames soon ended, and he turned around and walked away.

Orochimaru escaped his grasps, but not for long.

* * *

By the time Itachi returned to the clearing, the Oto-nin lay dead, still pierced by the tree, while Sakura sat slightly leaning against the tree trunk with Kakashi next to her, doing what little he could for the kunoichi with the less than adept medical nin-jutsu he had learned over the years.

"I won't be able to do much. I'm sure Sasuke's sent some reinforcements though. They should be here soon." Kakashi muttered, just as Itachi walked up and stood alongside him.

He and Kakashi made eye contact, and almost as if they could read each other telepathically, he gave a slight sigh and minded his business elsewhere, removing Kabuto's body from the tree that had pierced him in two different locations.

Sakura had been left in relative calm -that is, until Itachi once more appeared in the clearing, and all the questions that she had wanted to ask during battle but couldn't were once more brought up. "Why are you here?" she asked blatantly, not beating around the bush. "Why did you come to save me?"

Yet, Itachi didn't seem at all inclined to answer this question. "You've managed to capture his attention, Sakura." he spoke instead. "Make yourself scarce if you value your life."

Sakura's eyebrows scrunched in confusion, even if all the talking pained her greatly. "Whose attention? What am I supposed to be running from?" It was time Itachi gave her answers. If Itachi had come here to fight against Orochimaru, it meant that he had been tipped off of the snake sannin's actions. It meant that he knew what he was after, and why, most importantly, Orochimaru had stated that this would be his "last chance" to capture her. Something bigger and greater was after her, and Sakura seemed to be the only one who didn't know who or what it was.

"Something far beyond what you can handle. You must hide for your own safety." Itachi answered her question without actually giving her something she could work with.

"No." Sakura glared. "I'm capable of protecting myself. If you're not willing to tell me who our enemy is, then I'll find out for myself. I will not let him think he can come into my home and attack us so recklessly and go unpunished." Itachi's secrecy infuriated her. To think that he had been angry at her for _her _secrecy. Pffft. Hypocrite.

"This is your last warning Sakura. Leave while you can."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "You can't just pop into my life and dictate what I can and can't do whenever you feel like it, Itachi."

He stared at her then, his Sharingan no longer on, his frustration depicted in his eyes. Could this kunoichi really not see that he was doing this for her own safety? Was she really that blind to the reality that Madara could easily kill her if he wanted to? Sakura had set off the ripple to this war, and she didn't even know it -she was blissfully unaware of the danger she was in, if anything.

Before he could say anything else though, suddenly he felt two more presences approaching the clearing; he knew these chakra patterns -Sasuke and the Godaime Hokage. He was out of time, and as such he gave one last look at Sakura. "You've been warned, Sakura." And with that he was gone, a flurry of ravens indicating his exit.

* * *

All around them there was a myriad of debris, destruction, and bodies. But both of them were glad to find none of them were Konoha nin, in particular Sakura or Kakashi. They felt their presence further down, deeper in the forest, and as such they were quick to rush to the scene. Yet, both of them could clearly see Sakura's declining health, and were quick to rush to her side, seeing Kakashi there waiting for them.

"Sakura, are you alright?" Physically, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with her, other than the gaping wound on her shoulder, and although she had lost a considerable amount of blood because of it, indicated by her drenched shirt, it was not deadly.

"She was struck in the heart by Kabuto." Kakashi explained briefly.

Tsunade's eyes couldn't help but widen at the fact, her hands immediately doing the proper hand signs for her healing technique -she knew how deadly Kabuto's techniques could be, given the chance, after all. She placed them atop of Sakura's chest and concentrated, glad to find that no serious damage had been done.

"He bruised your heart muscles and caused a bit of bradycardia due to the shockwave, but so long as you get treatment you'll be fine." Tsunade diagnosed Sakura briefly, although she not once stopped healing Sakura. For Kami's sake this girl was just too prone to danger.

Sakura offered her shishou a small smile, even as her eyelids closed shut. She was exhausted, out of chakra, and wanted nothing more than to welcome sleep, after all.

She was out like a light before anyone knew it.

* * *

It was a shame that Kabuto had to sacrifice himself in order to save him. He had been a loyal servant, and it truly was unfortunate that he'd have to make due without him. But it had been a necessary sacrifice, especially after the Uchiha had appeared. It had also been a necessary sacrifice to inform Itachi that Madara would be coming after her soon. After all, he would not let Madara dictate if or when he could have his Haruno. If Madara thought Orochimaru could be trusted so easily, then he was truly a fool.

He would not capture his Haruno today. But like hell was he willing to give her up to the hands of Madara. No -if there was anyone who could save her, it would be Itachi. If he had come this once, he would do it again, and he was her safest bet of staying protected. As such, it truly was in his best interest to let the Uchiha know.

* * *

Sakura came to with an odd beeping in her ear, although she already knew what this was. Her vision was blurry as she tried to adjust them, but even before she could see clearly she could identify several blurs around her.

"Hey, she's waking."

Whoever had stated this had brought attention to her as several figure began to approach her, although there had already been someone sitting by her bedside -someone who she could now discern as Mikoto.

She groaned, attempting to sit up. Her chest was sore, and her shoulder even more so, but she knew this to be nothing compared to what could have happened. "You always seem to land yourself in the hospital." It had been Mikoto's voice, setting a relatively calm mood, even if the rest of her kinsmen and Uchiha respectively seemed worried. She looked around, noticing that Kakashi was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Kakashi-sensei?" she questioned.

"He's suffering from over-use of his Sharingan. He's next door resting and conversing with Saki-chan." Sasuke piped in, currently leaning on a wall next to Sakura, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Ahh..." Sakura remained quiet for a minute, processing the events of earlier that day. Just with one peek outside, Sakura knew it to be nightfall, perhaps only out for a few hours before she regained consciousness.

"So, Sakura," Hiroto began. "Mind telling us what Uchiha Itachi was doing there?"

Sakura flinched slightly -but of course Kakashi wouldn't have kept this a secret from Tsunade, or the rest of her family. "Well if you know he was there then you know why as well." Sakura stated.

"He came to warn you, Sakura." Sasuke was serious about this. "You should heed his warning." Yes, Kakashi had already informed them of Sakura's response, her defiance, if only for the sake of lashing out at Itachi's own secrecy.

"And what? Disappear?" Sakura questioned. "He's not just after me, Sasuke-kun." she stated. "If he's after me then he's after my entire clan. Am I to just go away and leave my clan defenseless?" she questioned angrily.

"It's better than-" Hiroto began, but Sakura cut him off.

"You guys gave your lives to protect me once before. I won't allow it to happen again." she ended the conversation. "Whoever Tobi is, if he wants me then we'll fight him together. I won't run from this."

It was admirable how confident Sakura seemed, Mikoto couldn't help but think. But if Itachi had gone out of his way to protect her, to warn her, then this wasn't a threat they could take lightly. "Well that'll be Tsunade-sama's decision then, wouldn't it?" she countered passively. "Furthermore, do you think Itachi would have come all the way here to warn you if it were something we could handle on our own?"

Sakura hated how Mikoto always seemed right. "But-"

"But," Mikoto interrupted her once more. "If you needed help to defeat Orochimaru do you honestly think you can defeat what lies behind him? I don't know what went down in the forest, but I suspect it wasn't you who took down the giant snake. Put your feelings aside and focus on the facts, Sakura." Yes, Mikoto had been able to see it, clear as day, from her location in the Haruno household -that thing was too big to miss, frankly.

"The facts still remain the same, Mikoto." Sakura did not bat an eyelash. "If I leave I am putting my kinsmen in danger. Itachi must understand that I too have responsibilities which I cannot simply run from." Sakura's hardened gaze said everything it needed to. "That being said, there is much for us to do." And so she stood, unplugging the IV connected to her arm, regardless of the concerned looks she got.

"You should get some rest, Sakura." Daichi muttered nonchalantly.

"I'll be fine. I need to speak to Tsunade-shishou." And so it had been. Regardless, it wasn't like Sakura was ever keen on following orders.

* * *

"Deidara-senpai~~! I'm back! Would you like to try some of my candy? In fact, I should share with the entire base!"

Deidara flinched -he had honestly hoped that it would have taken Tobi longer to acquire his supposed hard candy. But it had been just about two days since he had departed, a bag full of goodies in one hand. "No thank you, un." Truth be told, he was still a little upset about the whole caterpillar incident and wanted to stay as far away from Tobi as possible.

"Where are Kisame-senpai and Itachi-senpai at? I know they'll absolutely love these! And then I can give some to Konan-chan and Leader-sama!" he seemed absolutely filled with excitement and glee.

And just as this was stated, almost as if called upon, both Kisame and Konan appeared in the make-shift living room of the base, both having sensed Tobi's presence and approached (albeit, for different reasons). "Welcome back, Tobi." Kisame stated, clearly not as enthusiastic nor boisterous as the masked-nin. Truth be told, the only reason he had come was because he had seen Konan approach in a rather hurried state, a perplexed and somewhat panicked expression playing in her eyes. And why would she possibly be panicked? It was just Tobi, after all.

"Here, here, have some candy!" he ushered some into the hands of both nin, similar to what he had done to Deidara. "Where's Itachi-senpai at? He simply must try some!" he exclaimed loudly.

"Itachi?" Deidara raised an eyebrow. "I haven't seen him for a few days, un."

"I sent him off for a quick bounty." Konan intercepted smoothly. "It required some stealth, so I felt no need to involve Kisame. He should be back within the next couple of days."

Kisame's eyes widened a fraction of an inch, but said nothing on the matter. "Itachi had mentioned something about a mission before leaving." Kisame nodded. Don't ask him why, because for the life of him Kisame did not know, but Konan was covering for Itachi, fearful that Tobi, of all people, would find out the truth. She hadn't dared mention this to Deidara, but had been quick to appear at the very presence of Tobi for this very reason. -And why? What was so special -or so dangerous, for that matter, about Tobi?

"Oh, is that so." Tobi seemed upset, even if no one could see his face. "I guess I must reserve some for him, then."

And that had been that, and so Tobi excused himself, stating that he would leave Itachi a note on his bedroom to go see him once he returned (to acquire his hard candy, of course), and Deidara was quick to leave shortly afterwards.

And so it had been Konan and Kisame left alone in the room, the atmosphere somewhat tense.

Because Konan had just lied about Itachi's whereabouts (there was absolutely no mission, he knew, for Itachi would have told him otherwise,), he knew, and he had just attested to the lie Konan had created.

So why were they both protecting him?

And what was Konan protecting him from?

They eyed each other briskly, although no words were spoken between the two of them as they both scurried off moments later.

* * *

**End of Chapter**

**So, here was an attempt at a fight scene o: I know the POV skips around a lot but I kind of wanted to show what's going on at everyone's side of the battle field respectively, and in addition, it is immensely hard to be accurately descriptive in a fight scene, especially when you don't have much to go off of other than your imagination. If anyone has some pointers on where it seemed unrealistic/too stressed/ whatever else, I will more than gladly take some. I tried to keep things as accurate as possible when it comes to Orochimaru's abilities and Itachi's respectively, but as we know Orochimaru had his arms sealed and as such his jutsu's are kind of a mystery to me, which is why I didn't really incorporate any real description of them x.x so I hope things went smoothly there. Let me know what you all thought though ^_^ **

**And again, if any of you have any pointers / critiques on it, PLEASE do not hesitate to tell me. If there is room to improve, then I'd like to know ^_^**

**But anyway, as far as the chapter goes, there was kind of a lot going on, which will hopefully be explained in the next chapter. You'll see that things starts to unravel really quickly at this point . Mind you Madara finding out the Matsuro was no longer sealed in Kikyou's tomb was kind of the boiling point of everything, and it'll all be revealed why in, I want to estimate 3-4 chapters?**

**Also, I know there wasn't much itaxsaku this chapter, I apologize, but i'm trying to portray Itachi in a somewhat frantic state of panic, one which he doesn't want to necessarily show. He'll soon too hit his boiling point, don't worry ;] you'll all enjoy next chapter, I promise!**

**Any and all feedback is much appreciated! More reviews increase the likelihood of an early update x) Despite my earlier updates, reviews as of late have been a little disappointing, considering you guys voted this story to be the one I focus most on. :c I know you guys are out there! Let me hear what you all think please!**

**-MarzSpy**

**P.S. Reviews have been a little dis-heartening as of late :c Come on people, i know you're out there, let me here from you please! -**


	14. Reunion

**So, the next chapter is out, kind of the aftermath of the attack on Sakura c: You'll find some more ita x saku here, much more than there was last chapter x) Hope you guys enjoy it! And I am aware that things are kind of moving quickly now, but considering the fact that everyone's cards are kind of out in the open, it's kind of like people need to act fast before they miss their opportunity. You'll see what I mean ^-^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters in any way, shape, or form.**

**Chapter 14: Reunion**

**A/N: Flashback is Kisame's first encounter with Madara. I wanted to keep it relatively similar to that which happened in the anime/manga. As such, most of this flashback is a direct quote from the anime episode, with the exception of the very last part. You'll understand the significance of this flashback next chapter. =]**

* * *

_"Good work, Kisame."_

_Kisame's eyes widened frantically, turning around, his hand already reaching for his sword. Of all times to be found, with a Kiri-nin lying dead before him was definitely not the time. But in his defense, Fuguki had it coming for selling information to other villages, and as such he could hardly have any remorse for his actions._

_"You are well aware that this world is filled with lies and deceit." the man spoke, revealing himself to be short in stature, relatively young compared to Kisame._

_Kisame couldn't help but sneer, his hand never leaving his blade, despite knowing the man before him to be the Mizukage Yagura. "I knew that from the first moment I killed a comrade. Killing a Hidden Mist Shinobi despite being one myself." There was an odd sort of paradoxical humor to it, he couldn't help but think._

_"Then I shall release you from the pain of those falsehoods. I will create a place where you belong."_

_His eyes widened, having not sensed the second shinobi that made himself present from the shadows. "Who are you?" His aura was dark, his chakra unlike anything he had ever felt before._

_If he was going to answer this question directly, he didn't make an indication of it, instead continuing on with his previous statement. "First we'll start with this nation. You have toiled to dispose of your comrades up until now. From now on, work with me as my comrade."_

_"You seem to have trust in me. But I still don't know who you are." He stood rigidly stiff, aware now that whoever was before him was not someone to take lightly._

_He did not respond, at least not immediately, and when he had it hadn't been in any way that Kisame had expected. He had opened a lone eye, a piercing, penetrating glowing red eye staring directly at him, and it made his blood run cold as he glanced at Yagura, a mere puppet at the hands of the unknown Uchiha before him. __"This world really is full of lies." he couldn't help but sneer, amused by the entirety of this cosmic irony. "So who really are you?"_

_"I am... Uchiha Madara..." And he as he stated this he approached Kisame slowly, the light finally revealing the Uchiha and all his glory._

_Yet, despite the fear that Kisame felt enter his body, he knew he could not let this show. "If you want me as your comrade, then you will tell me everything. Everything you've done, are doing, and plan on doing. I will not be a puppet any longer." As he stated this, he released his sword slowly, to make sure that this wasn't some sort of ultimate trap, although ultimately intrigued to of what Madara was planning; of what he was offering._

_Madara smirked. "We'll start with my latest project, then. Have you heard of the tale of the Four Great Dojutsu?"_

* * *

Truth be told, Tsunade hadn't expected Sakura to be up and moving as soon as she was, or that she would appear in her office nearly immediately after her awakening. "I'm glad to see you're doing fine, Sakura." Tsunade greeted her, despite being able to identify Sakura's somewhat foul mood. "I suppose you're here to discuss the events of earlier today and of what will be done accordingly." From what Kakashi had told her, Itachi had suggested Sakura flee Konoha for a while, and she had adamantly refused.

"I'm staying." Sakura declared, not bothering with the introductions.

Tsunade raised her eyebrow. "Despite your disagreement, I believe Uchiha Itachi is doing the right thing in warning you, Sakura. I understand your concern for your kinsmen and as such your desire to stay here, but you would attack blindly without any form of restraint if and when you knew he was coming -and if you knew who, above all else."

"This isn't about me, Tsunade-shishou." Sakura glared. "This is about Itachi and his refusal to tell us what we need to know to combat this war."

But Tsunade raised her hand then, a sign to halt Sakura. "You're wrong, Sakura. This is entirely about you as things stand now. They're not trying to obtain the Jinchuuriki right now because they're after you. They want you killed. And all the Uchiha is trying to do is prevent you from getting into harms way." Tsunade hesitated with her next words, but decided that Sakura needed to hear them. "I didn't want to bring this up, Sakura, but... Itachi cares for you. Enough to ruin his plans and save you." her statement made Sakura's heart thump a little faster and harder. "Don't let this sacrifice go to waste just because you're resentful of his actions. Whatever he's doing, there's probably a sound reason for it."

And Sakura knew this to be true, knew Tsunade was right and knew Itachi was doing this because, in his own self-sacrificing way, it was for her well-being. "It's hard, shishou..." Sakura stated honestly, clearly saddened. "It's hard to see him reject my helping hand every time. It's hard to stare up at him and known he may never walk among the streets of Konoha a hero. And it makes me so angry to think that all he has to do is walk away from it all, walk away from Akatsuki and of the lies he burdened himself with for the sake of his clan and for the elders, and he'll be a free man, and he still refuses to do it."

Tsunade's eyes softened with pity. "He carries a heavy burden." Tsunade admitted. "But everything he has done, he has done through his own free-will, Sakura. As such, he won't easily walk away from everything. All you can do is give him time." And, as an after thought she dare not speak out loud, she added compassion and love.

Sakura sighed. "Hai, Tsunade-shishou..." she relented with a bitter exhale.

Her mentor nodded, happy to have been able to help her pupil. "Now go home and get some rest. Kami knows you need it."

* * *

If there was one person he could count on, it was Zetsu, the living embodiment of Madara's will. So for him to appear and tell him that Orochimaru had been defeated? That he had appeared in the clearing just as Tsunade, Kakashi, and Sasuke were carrying Sakura to the hospital, two snakes laying dead and Orochimaru nowhere to be found? It was too surprising, truth be told. Had he truly underestimated the kunoichi that much?

Furthermore, how had she not died eleven years ago? He had witnessed it himself, the Amaterasu flames devouring her entire figure, not leaving behind a single trace, not even ashes.

But never mind that. She had had help. So Zetsu told him, the only ones at the scene once he had arrived were that kunoichi, her former teammate, Sasuke, and the Godaime Hokage -and both Sasuke and Tsunade had not one scratch, indicating to him that they had not been involved in the fight.

And had those two really taken on Orochimaru, Kabuto, and the ten or so shinobi he had brought with him? It was highly implausible.

'_So they had had help,_' Tobi couldn't help but think with narrowed eyes. And he was beginning to suspect where this so-called help was coming from...

* * *

He had tried, and failed, to locate and eliminate Orochimaru once and for all. He had been gone now for three days, and despite the fact that he wanted to continue his search, he knew he had to cease his efforts; if he was gone too long, Madara would become even more suspicious (more than he must already be, anyhow). Although Orochimaru had a point that neither of them wanted Sakura dead, if he didn't stop Orochimaru now, then he would only try another time -of which he would preferably not have, truth be told.

He was past his denial, past the excuse-making he had involuntarily turned to when trying to justify the fact that he was saving Sakura, over and over again. He hadn't even hesitated -not in freeing Sakura from the perverse clutches of the Six-Tails, not in warning her of the battle to come, and not in traveling half way across the Shinobi Nations just to save and warn her of her impending doom.

-And he couldn't even begin to explain how frustrated he felt at her ignorant response to his warning.

Was she only saying this to spite him? It almost felt like it, but the kunoichi had to understand _-this was all for her own good. _Sakura was blindingly courageous, first to jump in the heat of battle (next to her idiotic blonde teammate, anyhow), if it meant saving her friends and family. It almost felt like she had _purposely_ crossed paths with every Akatsuki member possible. As such, she was nearly doomed in crossing paths with Madara unless she made a conscious effort to run from him. Not that he knew why exactly Madara even wanted Sakura to begin with. That was another story entirely, one which would be the crucial piece to this puzzle.

Unfortunately, as things stood, he had no way of obtaining this information. Ever since Sakura had popped her little pink head in their base, Madara had spoke to him about their plans less and less, and not to mention after his joint mission with Kisame at the Fire Nation Gala he was sure even Kisame was being looked down upon suspiciously. After all, they were the most elite in Akatsuki -for them to have gotten caught? Still, it was a plausible situation, the only reason that Itachi suspected Madara to not have taken any action towards either of them.

But there was nothing he could do about this, he decided, just as he had finally arrived at the Akatsuki base. It was only a matter of time before Madara exposed him to be a traitor, and truth be told, Itachi was playing a dangerous game even now, just by returning to the base where he could not make up a cover story for himself if Tobi so much as asked where he had been.

Luckily, Tobi had not approached him immediately after, indicating to him that either Madara was too busy elsewhere, or didn't have anything to say to Itachi, something that could perhaps be a really good sign, or a really bad one. Yet, he was approached by one shinobi, in particular his blue-haired teammate who seemed entirely casual and even a little bored. Itachi could tell there was something he wanted to speak about, just by the look in his eyes. They walked casually alongside each other, nothing spoken between the two other than a "welcome back", until Itachi followed Kisame into the training grounds outside.

"Tobi had been asking where you had gone." Kisame began casually. "Konan stated that she had given you a bounty to collect."

"Ahh..." So Konan had covered for him -although thankful, Konan had indirectly incriminated herself by involving herself in his lies, an act that could eventually lead Madara to discover her true lineage. She was playing a dangerous game -they all were, for that matter.

Kisame scowled. "But where did you actually go, Itachi?" He was starting to become deathly aware of the mechanics of Akatsuki, and in particular that of the masked Akatsuki mascot. If Itachi's silence and refusal to answer this question meant anything, it was that he had gotten himself involved with something he shouldn't have, especially after making the connection that he and "Tobi" had left at around the same time. Whatever the masked nin had gone off to do (because he was sure as hell now that the hard candy was merely a childish cover up), Itachi had attempted to undo it, and the only reason he would do this was if it pertained to Konoha, and perhaps specifically to Sakura. So what had either of them gone off to do?

"Do you recall Deidara's encounter with the Konoha nin in Kumo?" he instead spoke, changing the topic.

Kisame blinked. "Hai?" What did that have to do with anything, after all?

"You'll find your answers there, Kisame." And so he left, deciding that he didn't want to be found conversing privately with Kisame in a secluded area -it would mean that they were speaking secretly, after all, something that would not land well for either of them if either Zetsu or Madara caught wind of it.

Kisame couldn't help but sigh, uncharacteristically irritated with his younger companion.

What had Deidara said again? Something about a caterpillar on Tobi's shoulder which had caused him to fall and reveal himself to the shinobi before them...? But Tobi, child-like or not, had no real reason to be fearful of a caterpillar, meaning that it had been an act.

The truth dawned on Kisame almost immediately as a sudden thought crossed Kisame's mind, all the while staring at Itachi's retreating figure.

_Why had Itachi even returned?_

* * *

They had been mutually called to Pein's office several hours later for a mission briefing, one which they hadn't necessarily expected nor welcomed.

"You're to capture the hachibi."

"The reconnaissance mission failed. This hardly seems like the time to go after him." Kisame's eyebrows furled in confusion. It didn't make any sense to him, even if he wasn't one to question Pein's orders on any other occasion.

"We no longer have any time to wait. As we speak, Konoha is drafting up treaties with Kumo. If we don't strike now we may never get our chance." Pein stated.

But even as Kisame wanted to argue against it, Itachi silenced him. "Hai. We will go immediately." As he said this he inconspicuously flashed Konan a glance, able to see the uncertainty in her eyes. "Let's go, Kisame." he ordered. Alas, Kisame had no room to argue, especially not in front of Pein.

Nobody in the room moved until Kisame and Itachi were out of the base and well on their way, and after several minutes Madara finally emerged from the shadows. "This mission will fail without reconnaissance." Pein alerted Madara.

"Maybe so." Madara stated. "But it will be a necessary sacrifice." he said no more as his figure was once more absorbed into the shadows. He had things to do, after all.

He had given Orochimaru his opportunity. Now it was up to him to finish what Orochimaru had failed to. Yet, he could not do this with Itachi free and able to intercept him (again, as Madara suspected). No, he needed to keep Itachi occupied, enough time for him to slip in, eliminate every Haruno left, and return to the base before Itachi even suspected him, or had time to do anything on the matter. As such, he truly had no choice.

But onto other more pressing matters, it was finally time to start moving his pawns.

Konan waited a long time to speak, long after Madara had disappeared. "He can't be trusted..." it was a fact, one which both she and Pein knew. So why did he insist on playing with fire if the chances of getting burned, especially this late into the game, were so excruciatingly high?

"I don't trust him." Pein stated. "He is but a tool, someone to aid us reach our goal."

"Have you ever thought that maybe we're being used as his tools?" Konan countered. It was all she could say, all she could do to try and desperately reach out to Pein and make him realize that they couldn't do this for much longer. Pein may not be aware of it now, but Madara had just sentenced Itachi to his death and had waged a war on her family all in one swift decision.

"I will kill him once we obtain the hachibi." Pein stated. "As things stand, all he has done is run us in a circle trying to prevent treaties instead of actually capturing these Jinchuuriki. I no longer have any need for him." And so he stood to leave, in the midst of making his plans, leaving Konan there with a deceptively calm expression.

_'I fear it'll be too late by then...'_

* * *

It had been two days since Sakura had been relieved of the hospital, and as such her regular schedule of clocking in to the hospital had resumed, although word about a festival was going around in Konoha, a sort of celebration for the successful unification of Kiri, Suna, and Konoha, with Kumo soon to follow. Sakura knew this to be part of an act though, a way of convincing not only her people, but the people of Suna and Kiri as well, that with this new formed alliance they were stronger than ever, and that they _would _defeat Akatuski. It was convincing, Sakura had to admit, and definitely lifted the spirits of the civilians, who had been more than spooked to have either seen or heard the news of Orochimaru within their very walls (of course, because Orochimaru defecting from Akatsuki had been top secret information), and as such all believed this to have been an attempt at either destroying the village or capturing Naruto. Luckily for them though, Sakura and Kakashi had spotted the threat and accordingly eliminated it, cries of joy and respect going out to the two aforementioned shinobi.

Of course, Naruto had been less than pleased to find out about Orochimaru's attempted kidnapping (as he knew it to be), and had the unpleasant realization that Tsunade has specifically ordered him away from the village, knowing that something was probably going to happen.

But he supposed he couldn't be too mad, seeing as Sakura-chan was just fine and dandy, although a little on edge and more snarky than usual.

But how could she not be? This had been but the very first wave. Who knew what was to come in the days that followed?

Nevertheless, the hustle and bustle in the streets did much to cover up Sakura's tense demeanor, seeing as everyone was hurrying this way and that to prepare for the somewhat last minute festival that would be arranged within the week.

* * *

"Itachi, what's going on?" he could no longer keep his anger and curiosity at bay. It was not like Pein to send them off so suddenly (they usually had at least a week's worth of warning time beforehand), and not to mention so blindly -if there was one thing he had learned, it was that Pein genuinely cared about their success. Them dying meant losing good men and having to obtain new ones, after all. But this? He was potentially sending them to their grave, for they knew not what they would encounter or who, or even how many. Would the hachibi even be there to begin with?

Something was up, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Itachi, supposing that it was safe enough to talk openly, decided to indulge Kisame. "This is to keep us distracted." he stated.

Distracted? Distracted from what? Yet, Kisame didn't even have to ask this question, for it seemed that Itachi would finally explain to Kisame what was going on.

"My cover has nearly been blown, Kisame. He needs me busy and away from Konoha to make sure I don't intervene." It wouldn't be long now. His time in Akatsuki had all but expired, and a lot sooner than he had anticipated -and for entirely different reasons as well, truth be told.

Kisame's eyes widened at the revelation. As he had suspected, these were not Pein's orders; rather, it was Tobi's, and he was going after Sakura. But why? Although he was starting to come to terms with Tobi's real identity, for the life of him he could not understand what was so important about specifically going after Sakura.

"As for the question I'm sure you're asking yourself, I have not the slightest clue either. I've been asking myself the same question." Itachi stated.

A sudden chill went up Kisame's spine, a forewarning of what was to come. "We need to go warn her." he stated, with all the intentions in the world to switch their course and instead go to Konoha.

"Our mission is to capture the hachibi." Itachi ignored him.

"Itachi, if she's in danger she needs to know." Kisame scowled. "Furthermore, why do you even care about this mission? You know as well as I do this means nothing to you."

"She does." Itachi confirmed, not even blinking, an indication that Kisame had been right all along, and he had in fact gone off to Konoha but a week earlier to save the oink-haired kunoichi. He had warned her, meaning that last week would not be the only attempt at her life. "And until my cover has been completely blown, I will keep working this angle." For as long as he could, he would remain the eyes and ears inside of Akatsuki for Konoha -it was the least he could do for a nation he loved so dearly, he supposed.

"Itachi, we need to-"

Yet, once more, Itachi cut him off. "We need not do anything, Kisame. I gave her my warning."

"Well... is she gone then? Safe?" If she knew of the danger to come then surely she would have booked it out of Konoha already, right? But Itachi could not give him an honest answer. He had warned her, as he had done several times before, and she had always heeded his warning -why would she not now? At least, he sincerely hoped she did, for her sake. Kisame took Itachi's silence for what it truly was -uncertainty, something which Kisame could not stand for, and as such, regardless of Itachi's objections on the matter, he switched his course.

If Itachi wasn't going to warn her of the danger to come, then he would, Itachi's opposition be damned.

Yet Itachi sensed this change in him, his eyes narrowing. "Kisame, why are you doing this?"

"Why?" Kisame raised an eyebrow, his anger slowly but steadily growing. "I'm doing this because you chose your path and I am respecting it. Why are you so caught up in obtaining a Jinchuuriki for a man you don't even trust? For a man that just tried to kill her? For an organization you don't even _follow."_ Itachi took this to mean that Kisame now knew of Tobi's real identity, although he wasn't surprised to find out -Kisame was intuitive, and as such could piece the information together given the time.

"This goes further than respecting my path, Kisame." Itachi stated. And it was true. Kisame may not know his path, know his true alliances, but why did that even concern the shark-nin at all? Why was he going so far out of his way for something even Itachi wasn't sure he wanted to do? He was trying to avoid the mixing of business and pleasure, after all, at least until he could no longer avoid it (although, given his past actions, he could hardly say he had been doing a good job at it). This was _not _him avoiding it. This was him seeking it out -going out of his way to find it. To find Sakura, and throw away his well-planned future, and strict rules.

"I'm doing what you would be incapable of doing for yourself, Itachi." Kisame dismissed Itachi, no longer willing to hear his argument. He had made up his mind, and no convincing on Itachi's behalf would stop him now, not after everything he had experienced and witnessed because of him and the pink haired kunoichi.

"I don't need help." Itachi's eyes narrowed.

"Even if you did you wouldn't ask for it." Kisame shook his head. "Let me do this because I care for you, Itachi." He knew, deep down inside, that Itachi would regret this decision; that if they didn't do something now, Sakura would end up dead and the guilt would absolutely tear at Itachi's remaining conscious until there was nothing left of it. And for the life of him, Kisame could not allow this. He had made a friend in the Uchiha boy, and truth be told, in the Haruno girl, and it almost hurt him to see the destiny these two burdened themselves with. He had seen the look in Itachi's eyes eleven years ago when he first told Kisame that Sakura had been dead -it had been lifeless and desolate, a look he would gladly prevent from occurring a second time if he could.

Besides... there was some things he needed to tell the kunoichi, among that a thank you, for saving his life not just once, but twice. He would go see her, with or without Itachi. "If you want to go capture the Jinchuuriki, I'm not going to stop you. With or without you, I intend on going." and it was settled with that, even if Itachi's glare said otherwise.

_She needed to know the truth, even if it came from him._

* * *

Regardless of Itachi's incessant remarks of "We should not be here" more or less, Kisame had led them straight to the Village Hidden in the Leaf. Plus, if Itachi didn't want to follow him he didn't have to, a clear indication that Itachi, as much as he denied it, wanted to be here as well. Yet, even if Kisame knew this, he decided against voicing out this fact; it wasn't like it would help anyhow if he did.

There had been a festival occurring, a perfect scenario for them to henge themselves and sneak in undetected, just as the last rays of the sun began to disappear over the horizon of the Hokage monuments.

It hadn't been too hard to find the Haruno Compound, although finding Sakura had been a little harder then they had expected, considering she had not been there, and as such they had had to look elsewhere in the village. They were atop a rather large Sakura tree, casually eyeing the civilians and shinobi alike that passed by them, with a genjutsu cast over them so as to not alert suspicion, until a certain bob of pink-hair was finally spotted, casually making her way towards their very direction, presumably coming from the hospital, given her current attire.

Yet, she was not alone, her blonde Jinchuuriki teammate and the younger male Uchiha alongside her, one rambunctious and the other calm and collected. Yet, as she came closer and closer to their current location, she seemed to freeze, an act that hadn't gone unnoticed by her teammates, nor the Akatsuki members.

"Nee, Sasuke-kun, Naruto, you guys go on without me. I just realized I forgot something at the hospital."

"We'll come with you Sakura-chan! Dattebayo!" Naruto didn't even bat an eyelash at Sakura's comment, already turning around. Truth be told, he had hardly, if ever, left her side since he had found out of her encounter with Orochimaru.

Sakura pursed her lips, scowling at her blonde teammate. "Last I recall, I did not ask for a protective detail, Naruto. If I wanted one, I would have asked for it. Plus, if you plan on eating with us, then you better go and help Mikoto with whatever she needs."

Sasuke glanced from Sakura to Naruto. "Sakura's right. You've mooched long enough." Clearly, Sasuke could see that Sakura wanted to be alone, and he allowed her this wish, if only because he knew how insufferable Naruto could be after spending long periods of time with him. And so, despite his complaints, Sasuke grabbed Naruto by the collar and dragged him away from Sakura, who merely smiled and silently mouthed a thank you to her Uchiha teammate. She waited until they were clearly out of view, until she casually walked to the very same tree the Akatsuki members were currently perched on, and then leaned on it casually, almost as if she were resting. Her eyes were closed, her hands behind her as she enjoyed the slight breeze.

It almost seemed like she didn't know they were there, but suddenly she spoke. "Why are you two here?" despite her harboring no ill will to Kisame and knowing Itachi's innocence, she could never be sure that they weren't here for her dobe; this was all just a precaution she simply had to take.

"How'd you find us?" Kisame asked, genuinely curious. They were still perfectly masked by Itachi's beyond perfect genjutsu, and as such it had been rather surprising, after all.

"You two are perched atop my tree." Sakura stated. "There's no way I wouldn't sense to powerful chakra sources standing on top if it." she mused. "But, I suppose if you guys were here to attack Naruto, you would have done it by now." she shrugged, pushing herself off the tree. "Drop the genjutsu and follow me. You won't attract any attention tonight." Clearly, they wanted to talk to her, and she was willing to hear them out. If they came all the way out here, then surely it was important, she told herself, despite her loud thumping heartbeat or the near frantic thoughts racing through her brain.

She didn't wait for them to follow her, knowing that they would. They appeared beside her moments later, and just as she had promised, they blended right in, regardless of the fact that they were two unfamiliar henge'd faces in Konoha. "What's this festival for?" Kisame asked.

"To celebrate a successful unification between our country and that of Suna and Kiri." Sakura stated, flashing a quick glance to Kisame, and then to Itachi, before returning to the road before her. Truth be told, it was unnerving to be walking alongside them, in particular Itachi (she had been less than kind to him the last time, after all), but he didn't seem to indicate even acknowledging her at this rate. "But again, I ask you why you are here." she was genuinely curious; if Itachi was here to warn her once more, she could understand that, but why did Kisame need to be here as well?

"Well...-" Yet, Kisame didn't even have time to explain himself as suddenly another figure began to approach them, a slightly taller female with light, bubble-gum colored eyes and a vibrant, wavy heap of blue hair on her head.

"Sakura-chan~! I'm back!" Despite the two strangers beside Sakura, Marika hadn't wasted any time to hug the life out of her younger sister. She had just arrived from visiting Shisui, after all, and had rushed back here as quickly as possible upon hearing the news of Orochimaru's attack in their very own home. "I missed you so much! You had me so worried, don't ever do anything like that ever again!"

Sakura cleared her throat, embarrassed by the affection she was getting in front of the two S-Class missing-nin. "Marika-neesan, not in front of our guests..." After all, she was the clan heir, so to have her elder sister doting over her like that? What kind of image was she presenting?

In response, Marika couldn't help but laugh. "Gomen, gomen." As such, she finally took the time to glance at their new companions, two shinobi wearing a jounin flack and usual Konoha attire. She blinked, once twice. "It's nice to see you two again, Kisame-san, Itachi-san, although I must admit your presence here is rather unexpected, not to say that it is unwelcome."

Kisame blinked. "Seriously, you too?" he grimaced. She looked right through their henge! Hadn't so much as batted an eyelash, and was even able to properly differentiate between the two of them!

In response, Marika simply grinned. "It's hard to forget the chakra patterns of those who have saved my sister in the past, gomen." But yes, how could she ever forget her encounter with Hoshigaki Kisame? He had been neither friend nor foe, a simple nuke-nin who had been at the wrong place, at the wrong time (or right place, depending on the argument), but he had still gone out of his way and saved Sakura in her time of need -an act she would never forget, regardless of the reputation this man had garnered himself over the years. "Were you two joining us for dinner at the Haruno household?" she blinked in question, never mind the fact that the men before her were S-Class missing nin.

"Marika-neesan." Sakura scowled. Why was her sister speaking so informally with them? As if this was Kakashi and it was normal for them to be invited to dinner?

Marika blinked twice in confusion. "Oh, gomen... I figured this sort of thing happened often enough for you to be walking with them so casually within the village." Marika shrugged, although her statement was honest. "I wouldn't be surprised if it did, anyhow."

"Well it would explain why you don't seem even remotely afraid." Kisame snorted, an act which made Marika tilt her head in curiosity and confusion.

"Why would I be afraid of you two?" her question was spoken so genuinely that it nearly took both shinobi aback. "Like I said, you two saved my sister. You forever hold my gratitude; you are my friends."

The mention of the word 'friends' struck a chord within Kisame, although he hadn't shown it. Truth be told, he had never had any friends before, other than his Uchiha partner and the pink-haired kunoichi for the briefest of times, and for someone he had only met on one other occasion to be so willingly open and vulnerable around him was surprising -and abnormal, not to mention. He rather... strangely enough, liked it though...

Nevertheless, Sakura's long sigh brought him back to reality. "I wasn't at all certain if you were going to stay for long, but if you are, why not join us for dinner?" She didn't know why she was doing, why she felt it was okay to invite them in, but she figured that perhaps, if anything, Mikoto would be glad to see her son (and as such she told herself this was all for Mikoto and Sasuke, even if Marika knew better). There was no way she wouldn't recognize him, henge or not. Plus, Marika might as well have invited them anyway what with her outburst.

Kisame and Itachi looked at each other, Itachi clearly ready to decline her offer. But upon seeing this, Kisame knew that he had to do something and as such cut Itachi off before he had any chance to speak. "We'd love to! We wouldn't be imposing, right? I mean, we're not exactly welcome here..."

Sakura rolled her eyes, knowing that this wasn't true at all, but decided she didn't particularly care if Itachi felt uncomfortable with it -it was time he faced his family once and for all. "The only ones attending dinner will be my kinsmen as well the as the Uchiha Clan, Naruto, and Kakashi, none of which will attack, regardless of your identity, if it is discovered." Sakura assured them. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to prove Hiroto and Kakashi wrong about Kisame, she supposed.

"Kisame." Despite Itachi's warning tone, Kisame ignored him effortlessly. "There is much to discuss with you, Sakura." Kisame stated.

"Is it something that can wait until after dinner?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

Kisame shrugged. Truth be told, dinner had never even been part of the plan -but now that Sakura mentioned it, he was getting pretty hungry. But regardless of that, they were on a time crunch, and not to mention their current location proved dangerous, because if they were found out by Leaf shinobi it would mean a small war erupting in the village, and if Madara discovered them then it meant that they would be seen as traitors to the Akatsuki cause, and as such would probably be eliminated. "I suppose."

And so, despite Itachi's reluctance and Sakura's inability to look at him straight in the eye, the four shinobi walked on towards the Haruno Compound, Marika carrying on most of the conversation.

* * *

By the time the four shinobi entered the Haruno Compound, it was already far too late to turn back. After all, they could finally sense the chakra patterns huddled up within the household, and if they could sense it, then this meant the same for the people residing within them in regards to their own presence. "I know you probably don't feel comfortable with it, but you should definitely meet everyone. You'll get a kick out of seeing Naruto and Sasuke bicker, I guarantee it." Marika tried to ease their qualms as best she could. Truth be told, as awkward as the scene before her was, she knew that all of them probably needed this -Sakura and Itachi more so. It had been too long, for both of them, to go on ignoring their feelings and pushing aside their wants for their duty, and Marika wasn't blind to it. Nobody was, except for Naruto and Saki, to be honest.

Kisame sensed what Marika was trying to do, and eagerly acknowledged her suggestion. "Yes, I'd love to meet Itachi's family." But even though he said this, his blood pulsed with uncertainty and panic.

What was he honestly doing here? And why was he walking into a house filled with people, all of which enemies to his cause?

_'No.' _Kisame shook his thoughts away stubbornly. _'I have made up my mind.' _And as he thought this he flashed a glance towards Sakura and Itachi, both collected although he knew this to not be true for their inner selves. And as such, he accompanied Marika, regardless of Itachi's reluctance to continue forward.

Before either Sakura or Itachi could act, they were suddenly left alone as Kisame and Marika stormed off, leaving the two in utter silence. She knew Marika would probably try this, but she hadn't truthfully expected Kisame to be so eager to comply as well.

The silence between them lay heavy, so thick Sakura felt like she could cut it with a butter knife. "I'm sorry..." she muttered under her breath, but a whisper on her part, although Itachi had still heard it. "I had no reason to lash out on you for trying to help me last week..." she was truthful. But, honestly, it was frustrating and near infuriating how he only talked to her about the ultimate danger they were in, even when she had been willing to help him countless of times. She had apologized to him about her deceit in the past and in doing so opened herself up to him, despite how fearful she had been, and he had turned against her and pushed her away. And it hurt, just as much, if not more, as it had hurt when Sasuke had abandoned her on a cold, hard bench and in doing so, abandoned the only home he had ever known.

But she supposed that she was used to this rejection...

"Ah.." It was a short reply on Itachi's behalf, but one that alerted Sakura that he was listening.

Regardless of her feelings, Sakura wasn't about to make this about her. He came here for business, and as such would not pressure Itachi to meet his family like she had done before. "I'm assuming you don't want to go in there." Sakura stated calmly. "I won't force you to if you don't want to." If he hadn't wanted to see Sasuke back in the gala, chances were now was no different. And Sakura honestly had no right to deny him of this; she couldn't even begin to understand how hard this must be for Itachi, facing his family knowing that he was the reason for all of their misery. And not to mention the begrudging fact that he could not have that life (at least, not for now). "I can bring you out some food, if you'd like, or we can get down to the real reason you came here so you may once again leave." _'As you always do...' _Sakura added as a resentful, lingering after thought.

Itachi didn't respond, not that Sakura had honestly expected one. He was a man of few words, not speaking unless necessary, after all. Besides, she supposed his silence said all it needed to. Yet, as she was about to change the subject, suddenly he parted his lips to speak. "I'm not certain any longer..." he was truthful.

So long, he had been denying himself from seeing his otouto and his okaa-san, and even now, when they finally knew of his innocence, he still hadn't dared even glance at them because he knew that it would only ever make it harder to say good bye in the long run. But it had become increasingly hard to say no, especially after seeing his younger brother and mother at the Gala, after having spoken to Saki and having them but a mere minute's walk from his current location, all amid the happiness and joy of the festivities. And even though his mind told him no, he shouldn't, his heart was reaching out to grasp hold of the love and company he had denied himself for so long, if only for the sake to protect them from either himself or the shadows playing in the background.

Itachi's mere statement made Sakura's eyes widen. "Itachi...?" He looked at her then, fully facing her, something he hadn't done in who knows how long. What did that even mean? And why now, of all times? Furthermore, Itachi only ever spoke to he when necessary, and once everything had been said and done, he would always leave promptly without giving Sakura any time to say anything else. So why was tonight different? Why was he not gone already? So many questions raced through her mind, but for the life of her she could not find the answer to any of them, and she knew she would get none from asking Itachi.

"I had been ordered to do it. During the massacre."

Sakura's eyebrows scrunched in confusion; why was he bringing this up now, of all times? What relevance did that even hold to this conversation they were having? And what of being ordered? Of course, she already knew that Danzo had made him do it. So why-

Almost as if he could read her thoughts, he added, "Not about the massacre, Sakura. You."

It felt as if she had been struck by lighting at his statement as the reality sunk in. _Someone had ordered him to kill her._ Had it been Danzo? No, it was improbable, but regardless of that, why was he even mentioning it now? "What? I don't understand..." it felt as if a brick had hit her in the face -why bring it up after so long? _'Does he still feel guilty?' _It was the only logical reasoning she could think of, although Itachi never made much logical sense to her anyway.

"You were seen as my potential weakness, someone who would cripple my resolve in the long run, and as such it was either I kill you or he does." Sakura was becoming more and more aware of the fact that this _'he', _was the driving force that had been trying to kill her since so very long ago. "I ultimately decided it better for you to die at my hands rather than his own." And his unspoken explanation for such a decision, no matter how much it had hurt him, had been that he preferred her to die by the hands of someone who would never forget her, rather than someone who saw her as a mere obstacle, a thorn at his side. Sakura deserved better than that, and as such he had taken this responsibility upon himself. Whatever he had done to her had been better than anything Madara would have had in store for her, after all.

_She would have died out of love, and not at the hands of the institution of evil._

Tears welled at the corner of Sakura's eyes, as she tried her best to prevent them from falling. She thought she had been over this, after the several months and years that had passed since that night, but clearly, both of them still remembered with vivid detail what had happened the night of the massacre. "It hadn't been me..." she muttered, almost as if guilty that Itachi had gone through the belief that he had killed her, even if for the briefest of moments. "The person you killed, that is..."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. How could it not have been? Their chakra patterns had been identical; they were the same people. Then again, he supposed it wasn't too improbable. If it had been her in that fire years ago, then she wouldn't be standing here now, so it must have been someone else, although he could not understand who it could have possibly been.

But Sakura shook her head at this, reading Itachi's train of thought. "It's more complicated then you'd begin to understand." she stated. "But it hadn't been me." But, even if she wanted to explain further, suddenly two figures appeared from the household and began walking towards them, forcing them both to shift their attention to the approaching figures.

"Dinner is ready, Sakura." one of them called out to her, as they began approaching her. Truth be told, they had been curious about the sudden strangers in the compound, regardless of how friendly Marika acted around the one currently introducing himself to his family. In addition, she had left Sakura alone with a strange nin, which didn't bode well with either him or his blonde companion.

"Yeah Sakura-chan! Come on!" Truth be told, Naruto just really wanted to eat.

But upon one look at the nin, seeing Sakura's slightly pink eyes and the rigidly stiff posture of the shinobi (and not to mention the very thin coat of chakra around him, indicating a henge, he knew exactly who it was. As such, he froze where he stood, alongside Sakura, who was not at all surprised that Sasuke had figured out the identity of the nin before her nearly instantly.

"Who is this, Sakura-chan? I've never met him before." Naruto stated casually, his hands in his pockets. Furthermore, how dare he befriend Sakura without first introducing himself to either Naruto or Sasuke?

Sakura blinked. "A friend of mine, Naruto." she brushed his comment aside. "Come on, let's go inside." She grabbed him by the arm and led him away from the two Uchiha, allowing them room to talk privately -finally. "We'll be inside, whenever the two of you are ready to eat. Don't make Mikoto wait too long though."

"...Hn..." it was the only thing Sasuke could mutter, his gaze falling on the nuke-nin he knew to be his brother.

* * *

Sasuke didn't know what to say; what to do, even. They were standing, facing each other, just a few meters apart, and all they could do was just stare at each other. And even though Itachi wasn't physically staring at the real Itachi, but rather a henge'd form, it was enough to know his brother was there, ready to face him after everything that had occurred during the past eleven years. Of the massacre and his appearance at the hotel when he was but a genin, of their encounter when they were on their way to help Gaara fight off Deidara (which, thanks to their reinforcements, made them flee without any serious fights or casualties), and everything else in between.

Yet, for the life of him, despite all the things he wanted to say, all the things he _needed_ to say, he was but a breathless and nervous image of himself. But, he had to say something, but the only thing that could come to mind was two simple words. "I'm sorry..."

But just by those words Itachi could see the vulnerability in his eyes, hear the pain in his heart, and it made Itachi want to reach out and grab his brother, and embrace him in a manner he hadn't been able to do for over a decade. "It is I who should be sorry, Sasuke..." he spoke as formally as he could, trying to restrain himself. It had been him who ripped away Sasuke's childhood and happiness, and it was him who left him in the dark, a liability to Sakura that forced her to pick up the broken pieces in his steed.

"No." Sasuke shook his head adamantly. If anyone should be apologizing, it should be Sasuke, for having hated his brother despite his ultimate innocence. "I should have believed in you." Sasuke acknowledged bitterly. He knew his aniki. Better than anyone did (except for maybe Shisui). For Sasuke to believe that Itachi was truly capable of these atrocious acts? It was a betrayal in itself, truth be told. "I couldn't be any prouder knowing that my aniki single-handedly stopped the destruction of Konoha and a start of a new Shinobi World War..."

But that did it for Itachi, just hearing the word "aniki" coming out of Sasuke's mouth, and he could no longer help himself as he rushed to Sasuke's side and embraced him suddenly, the tears he had been hiding, falling to the floor away from Sasuke's view. For the briefest moments, he could feel it, that emptiness in his heart fill just the slightest bit at the words of his brother -only in his dreams had he believed he would hear those words, and feel the touch of Sasuke once more embracing him with just as much, if not more, fervor than Itachi.

The two brothers stood there for a minute's time before pulling away, both equally embarrassed to show their tear-stained eyes in front of the other. Even if not much had been said between the two of them, their embrace had spoken volumes about their relationship, about the bond that they shared through blood.

"Please take care of Sakura..." It had been an unlikely request from his brother, one that seemed to nearly insinuate to Sasuke that Itachi expected himself to not be there for the job.

"That is your job, Itachi." he denied. "I left that job to you eleven years ago. And you can't take it back; Sakura's too much of a hassle. I'd rather not deal with her." he scratched the back of his head in near embarrassment at his words. "She's scary and dangerous, and always gets into trouble. She's absolutely terrifying when she wakes cranky, and she loves chocolates and hates roses, and loves the sound of laughter- you should be taking notes, Itachi. If you plan on sticking around for the future, that is."

But Sasuke didn't stop there, and he went on a giant tangent of all the odd quirks and tid-bits of tendencies that made up Sakura, regardless of how odd they were.

"In conclusion, Sakura is a needy woman, a very, very complicated one. As such, I will not be liable for her in your steed."

Sasuke's implication was clear to Itachi, and he couldn't help the small smile the formed on his face, a genuine expression he hadn't made in who knows how long, because he sure didn't.

Kami, he had missed his brother.

* * *

Mikoto knew something was up the moment Marika brought in a stranger to their home, someone who was clearly not a Konoha-nin despite his hitai-ate. Mikoto had lived here far too long; if he were a real shinobi of the Leaf, she would know him, or at least have heard of him. Plus it didn't help that he was henge'd, of which she knew Marika to be aware of. So who was the nin and why did he have to hide himself? And what was his relation to either Sakura or Marika?

She supposed she got her answer when Sakura returned with Naruto, leaving Sasuke outside with another nin, one she also could not recognize, but still donned a genjutsu similar to that of the stranger in her home. But seeing the expression on Sakura's face as she returned, and the hesitant glances she kept sending towards Sasuke, Mikoto knew something was up, and as such also kept an eye on her son, until she saw the two figures embrace. The act made a sudden thought strike down upon Mikoto, a highly improbable theory, were it not for the fact that Sasuke had _hugged_ the stranger.

_Sasuke doesn't hug people (an exception of Saki and his mother, of course)_

As such, she waited a few minutes until all the food was finally placed on the table, and then she pulled Sakura aside briefly, just as everyone was sitting down for dinner. "Sakura, is that...-" Frankly, she didn't know if she should ask; didn't know if she wanted to even get her hopes up.

But just by the look in Sakura's eyes she knew what the answer had been, and without so much as a warning sign Mikoto took off her apron and ran outside.

_Her boy. It was her boy!_

Tears streamed down her face, whether she willed them to or not, as Sasuke and who she knew to be Itachi watched her figure. And she didn't care if it was out of character for her son or if Saki and Naruto stared at her oddly for storming out suddenly, but she ran directly into the arms of her eldest son and held on for dear life. "Itachi-kun..."

Even though his reunion with his brother had been cut short, he accepted this hug whole-heartedly and took in the smaller woman in his arms. "Okaa-san." he greeted curtly. Frankly, he didn't know what else to say. He hadn't spoken to his mother in roughly eleven years, since Saki had first been born.

Mikoto didn't know how long she had held on, hugging her son to her heart's content, but eventually she let go. Dinner was waiting, and if they stalled any longer people would become grumpy (namely Naruto, Hiroto, and Kakashi), although everyone by now, minus Saki and Naruto, were eerily aware of the identities of the two rogue nin, and as such waited respectfully for the greeting. "Drop the henge, will you?" she smiled up at him. "And come join us for dinner." The only people there were the Harunos' and Kakashi and Naruto respectively -none of which would tell a soul of his being here, nor would they feel threatened. There was much she wanted to tell her son, much she wanted to hear from him, but she bit her tongue. There would be time for that later.

He seemed hesitant to comply, but with Sasuke's nod of reassurance, he made the hand sign and released the henge.

And as such, the Haruno bunch (minus Daichi and Sayuri) that had gathered at the front of the house plus Kisame watched on as they began approaching, the Uchiha household matriarch and her two sons. "Is it really safe to drop this henge?" Kisame muttered, his statement not exactly meant for anyone.

"Of course." Himawari stated. "Our compound is protected by Sakura-chan's bloodline. If an intruder with malicious intent steps even one inch into our compound, she will be the first to know."

Kisame supposed he had seen as much when Sakura had discovered them, but even so, he felt reluctant to do what Itachi had just done. For Kami's sake, he was a giant man, blue in color, with sharp teeth. And despite Marika's insistence-

"Kisame, you have nothing to worry about." Sakura seemed to have read his thoughts.

"But the Junchuuriki... and Itachi's younger sister-"

"Naruto is aware of Itachi's innocence, as much as we are. And everyone here, save for Saki, know that I allowed you to break free. And Saki will not recognize either of you. Just remove your coat and your hitai-ate." Sakura stated, turning back and returning to the compound. "Anyway, I'm ready for dinner."

"But-" Kisame got ready to argue.

"Oh come on Hoshihaki-san. Stop being a baby and lighten up." It had been Hiroto, who slapped him playfully on his arm as he began to turn around and walk back into the house.

Kisame blinked. Once, twice. Was he... was he just called a _baby?_

That did it.

He undid his henge, removed his cloak and hitai-ate, and promptly sealed them in a scroll, and with a sigh of discomfort and a lingering thought of _'Why am I doing this again?' _he stepped foot into the compound.

He held his breath as Naruto and Saki laid eyes on him, and even if Naruto's eyes frantically searched for Sakura, a kunai already being grabbed, he saw Sakura shake her head at him, an indication for him to cease his efforts. "They are guests tonight, Naruto."

"They? Who's they-" He got his answer as soon as Mikoto and Sasuke returned to the compound, with a man he recognized trailing behind them.

_Uchiha Itachi_

Clad in casual ninja attire, his cloak and headband gone, just like Kisame.

"W-What are they..." he couldn't even finish his sentence, astounded by the mere fact that two Akatsuki members would be eating with them.

"They have business to discuss with me after dinner, Naruto." she stated as she approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder as her head swooped closer to his. "Onegai, Naruto... Sasuke-kun and Mikoto need this..." she whispered in his hear, seeing how his grasp on his kunai had not loosened.

The realization, although taking a few seconds for Naruto to process, made him concede, and as such he returned the kunai back to its holster. He gave a small nod, and looked away in embarrassment. If Sakura had placed her faith and trust in these two men, then he had no choice but to do the same.

Meanwhile, Saki had been staring oddly at the blue-haired nin, already sitting at the dinner table across from Sayuri. She leaned in, her voice hushed. "Is his skin really blue, Sayuri-nee?"

Sayuri could have snorted at Saki's first concern. _What about the five foot sword on his back?! _"Hai, Saki."

"Zugoi!" As such, she could not help herself from approaching the aforementioned nin. "Why's your skin blue? And are those gills on your face? Why are you so tall?" But just as Kisame was about ready to open his mouth, Saki's eyes widened. _"And your teeth! _Are you a shark senpai?!"

"..."

"..."

Frankly, he had never seen a child look up at him with such sheer astonishment in his life. He turned to stare at Itachi. _'Is this really your sister...?'_

"..." by the look Itachi was returning to him, it almost felt like Itachi was answering yes.

"Alright, alright, everybody take your seats, lest the food gets colder than it already is." Mikoto settled down the bunch.

"Hai, Okaa-san!" Saki was the first to return to the table, quick to eye Sakura. "Sakura-oneesama! Sit over here!"

"Wait a second Saki-chan! Sakura-chan is sitting next to me, Dattebayo!"

"But what if I want Sakura all to myself?" Marika joined in just for the fun of bickering, even as Sakura rolled her eyes and walked to the table, successfully ending the argument and sitting next to Saki.

"Grow up already, Naruto no Baka." she sighed, but the smile was clearly present on her expression.

And even though Naruto was about to snag the seat next to Sakura, Kisame had been the first to grab it, if only because he didn't know how comfortable he would feel sitting next to people he didn't know. Itachi reserved the seat alongside him, Sasuke following promptly afterwards as any dutiful younger brother idolizing his aniki would.

Within the minute, the remaining seats had been filled up, and with Kakashi's popping of the sake bottle, their feast had started and everything resumed to its usual commotion, despite the inclusion of the Akatsuki nin.

* * *

Kisame was surprised to find how casual this dinner had been, despite his presence there -how cheery and even vulnerable this shinobi left themselves in front of them, despite knowing that they could easily attack at any moment, take the Jinchuuriki, and flee. But with their happiness, Kisame was eventually able to relax himself, despite the major treason he was committing against the Akatsuki, and even indulge himself in a few rounds of sake.

After dinner had finished, Mikoto had left to clear the table, and Itachi had stood and excused himself momentarily, making his way to the outside of the house, towards the back. Sakura, Marika, Himawari, and Sayuri began to clear the table alongside Mikoto, but just as Sakura had picked up her plate, Mikoto had approached her and placed a hand on Sakura's own, forcing her to stop. "There are other things for you to do right now, Sakura." and as she stated this she glanced towards Itachi's figure, forcing Sakura to look as well. Mikoto eyed Sakura, a small smile framing her features. "Go to him, Sakura."

Sakura blinked in confusion. What did she mean _go to him?! _And do what? "But Mikoto, I-"

Mikoto shook her head. "He's waiting for you."

Because what other reason would he have for stepping outside? Clearly, he wanted to have a word in private, and it sure as hell wasn't with Kisame, or Sasuke, or even herself.

Although she frowned nervously, Sakura gave a hesitant nod, and handed off her plate to Mikoto.

Kisame watched this small interaction, not missing the way that nearly everybody (Daichi, Sayuri, Naruto, and Saki excluded), watched her go.

Kisame could have snorted at this.

_Were they all rooting for them?_

* * *

Itachi sensed her approaching, slowly so as to warn him beforehand. His back was turned towards her, facing the forest that consumed the backyard. She approached him, standing alongside him with a few feet of space in between the two of them, indicating her reluctance to get too close to him. Silence ensued, although it wasn't awkward or tense. It felt as if exhaustion had sank over them, truth be told. They were tired of lying, of running away, of denying themselves, and of playing this game of cat and mouse. And truth be told, they didn't see each other nearly enough to have all of this tension between them.

Knowing Itachi and his lack of communication skills, Sakura decided she would start the conversation. "I haven't seen Sasuke this happy in a long time." she stated calmly. "I'm glad... you two have finally talked things out, even if just briefly..." It felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders; all she had wanted was for Sasuke and Itachi to rekindle their bond, and for Itachi to realize he didn't have to walk down this lonely and desolate road by himself. They were in this together -on the same team, and it was about time for him to realize it. And through this meeting, hopefully Itachi would come to accept this, and he would consider trying to reintegrate into Konoha, of course with in due time and with Tsunade's blessing and the Haruno and Uchiha Clan as back up for moral support.

"You never gave up on me, Sakura. Why?" he questioned her.

She blinked in confusion. Why, he asks...? "I only did what I knew in my heart to be right. You're a good guy, Itachi, and you deserve a good life, especially after everything you've been through for the sake of this country... I couldn't let you go down this path when I knew there was another way."

He didn't respond, at least not immediately, and when he did it hadn't been at all how she had expected him to. Because how could she have _possibly _seen it coming when he suddenly turned to her and grabbed her and _pulled her to him, _his arms wrapping around her and pushing her flat against his chest. "Arigatou..." it was but a whisper, not that it mattered because of their proximity, and it made Sakura deathly aware of her small stature compared to his tall and lean figure. She couldn't help her senses from taking in everything about him, his touch, the feel of his sturdy chest on her cheek, or the way that his warmth wrapped around her, or even that familiar scent she could recall to be inherently Itachi's, even eleven years ago. He had changed so much, developed into a full grown man, but all of these things were so inherently Itachi-esque it hardly felt like things had changed at all, a refreshing reminder that this was still the Itachi she had developed feelings for over a decade ago, despite the frigid distance that had split them apart and had kept them at arms length for several months since her reemergence.

_For Kami's sake she could feel his heart beat, thudding strongly and with a slightly quickened pace!_

* * *

"Mikoto! Mikoto it happened!" Marika exclaimed in a loud whisper, trying to capture Mikoto's attention without alerting the two shinobi currently outside. Nearly in the blink of an eye Mikoto was next to her, alongside Himawari, Sasuke, Kakashi, Kisame, and Hiroto, snooping as best they could from the door without actually going outside.

And even though Mikoto didn't say a word, simply smiling at her eldest son and the kunoichi that had forever changed their lives, thoughts were racing through her mind about how this should have happened long, long ago.

"Okaa-san? What is everybody looking at?" She had been wondering where everybody had gone, and upon a little bit of searching, discovered them snooping at something, although she couldn't see past them to figure out what.

"Saki-chan!" Mikoto exclaimed loudly, laughing. "I-It's nothing." Mikoto brushed her aside, ready to grab her hand and lead her away. "Come on Saki-chan, let's put dessert on the ta-"

"Mikoto I think they're about to kiss." Marika exclaimed loudly.

At the mention, a glint appeared in Mikoto's eyes and she was back to her usual position, Saki pouting all the while, trying to get around the bunch. "Who is? And where's Sakura-oneesama?" She questioned, but nobody seemed to tell her, their focus and gaze fixated elsewhere. As such, she huffed her chest indignantly. If no one was going to tell her, then she would find out on her own. As such, she pushed her way past the crowd, wedging herself in between them as best she could.

* * *

Sakura didn't know long they had been huddled up in a tight embrace -it could have been seconds, it could have been hours, hell, she didn't know; she was too preoccupied with her racing thoughts of Itachi to keep track. But when they pulled apart, Sakura had expected him to release her and return back inside, but he didn't and it nearly made her want to pass out, because he still held on to her then, although the space gave her time to look up at him in confusion, but _for Kami's sake, he was staring at her with a smoldering, serious expression in his eyes, just inches from her own face, as if he were seriously contemplating doing what Sakura thought he was contemplating doing and just the mere thought made heat rise to Sakura's face._

But he didn't do anything other than stare at her, even if his actions screamed otherwise. This was all just too much for her, and she needed to but an end to it, or at least figure out what was happening between the two of them, before she passed out. "I-Itachi, what are y-you-" but her voice hitched in her throat as Itachi suddenly released her, a thump catching their attention as they turned to stare at Himawari, Marika, Hiroto, Sasuke, Saki, Mikoto, Kakashi, and Kisame simultaneously haven fallen by the door.

"..."

"..."

"O-Oh! Itachi! Sakura! There you are! We wanted to all come here and alert you that dessert was ready!" Mikoto laughed nervously. "But Hiroto, that dunce, fell and made us all fall accordingly!"

"G-Gomen!" Hiroto apologized rigidly.

"S-Silly H-H-Hiroto-nii..." Himawari laughed nervously.

"..."

"..."

"Anyway, dessert's waiting, bye!" Almost as if on cue, all six shinobi seemingly vanished into thin air in the blink of an eye.

Silence ensued between the duo, and almost as if it were planned, they both looked at each other, and upon meeting each other's gaze turned away frantically. "L-L-Let's go i-inside." Sakura declared all too loudly, leaving Itachi alone as she stormed into the house, not that he seemed to particularly mind the sudden disappearance of the kunoichi, his heart pounding strongly against his chest and his stomach stirring in a sort of obtrusive manner that left him feeling vulnerable with abnormal feelings he hadn't felt in a long, long time.

_Yes, what was he doing?_

* * *

Dessert had been eaten somewhat robotically, a frantic sort of laughter and talk filling the room to try and ignore the fact that all of them knew what Itachi and Sakura had been thinking about doing (and may have possibly done, if not for the interruption of the aforementioned shinobi), not that Naruto, Daichi, Sayuri, or Saki understood why.

"Sakura-oneesama, is Itachi-san your boyfriend?" It had been a genuine question, given the way that Sakura and Itachi had been discovered; plus, it would explain why Sakura, despite her beauty and all around amazing-ness, still did not have a boyfriend (and why her and her Sasuke-nii hadn't already been dating).

Sakura choked, although she couldn't tell if it was on air, food, or her own saliva. She stuttered around for words, trying to calm herself, but luckily it seemed that the limelight would be taken off of her for the time being (she dare not look at Itachi to see his expression at the statement).

"Don't be silly Saki-chan! Sakura-chan is my future wife, Dattebayo!"

Saki blinked, unimpressed by the answer. After all, Naruto had been preaching the same thing for years now, and given Sakura's response every time, she knew it would never happen. Nevertheless, something else caught her eye, as she stared out the window and noticed hundreds of lights in the sky. "Look!" she pointed excitedly out the window, catching everyone's attention to the sight before them.

"Oh yeah, the lantern festival was supposed to start right around now." Hiroto stated. "It's to commemorate all of the fallen shinobi."

"So pretty...!" Saki exclaimed excitedly. "Do you think we can go see them?" Saki stated excitedly.

Sakura frowned. Given their current company, they clearly could not set foot off the compound. "A-Anno..."

"It's fine." Marika smiled. "We can go to the lake. The view will be perfect." Marika stated with a smile. At least this way, the tension would disappear, of which she knew Sakura would be thankful for.

"Lake?" Naruto exclaimed with a grin. "Can we swim?"

"..."

"Oooh! Swimming?! Great idea Naruto-senpai! I'll go get my bathing suit!" Saki was gone in the blink of an eye.

Sakura sighed. How did things turn out like this? Nevertheless, at least the attention had shifted elsewhere from her relationship with Itachi, although Saki had brought up a good point.

_What were they?_

* * *

Needless to say, Saki (and partially Naruto), had suckered them all into their bathing suits, and while Sasuke went off to spend time with his elder brother and Naruto went to pester Kakashi into a bathing suit, this left Kisame alone with Mikoto to help clear out the table.

Truthfully, never in a million years had Kisame expected himself to be in this situation, helping his partner's mother clean the dishes. She seemed nice enough, a smile never leaving her features, despite the housework forced upon her. "Kisame-san, right?" she suddenly spoke, despite the awkward silence that had ensued between the two. Kisame looked up in confusion.

"H-Hai?"

Yet, the smile never faded from her features. "Thank you for doing this for Itachi." she stated, although Kisame couldn't understand why she knew it had been his decision and not Itachi's to come here and face Sakura and his family. Almost as if reading his mind, she spoke, answering his question. "Itachi would never willingly come see us. He's a stubborn man set in his ways, after all." she chuckled slightly. "Even after all these years, I know my son well. He's reckless, and prioritizes the safety of others over his own. Thank you for your continued support of my son." she seemed honest, her earnest eyes never leaving that of Kisame's. "And... onegai... keep watching over my Itachi-kun... he can be a bit of a pain in the ass, I'm sure, but he's a sweet kid deep down. I don't want him to end up hurt because he refuses to rely on others."

Kisame allowed himself time to let Mikoto's words sink in, but once they did, he couldn't help but smile at the Uchiha matriarch. "Hai... I'll make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

Mikoto's smile got brighter, if possible, at his promise. "Arigatou, Kisame-san."

She seemed nearly eternally grateful to him, for some reason. What he would have done to have a mother like his, Kisame couldn't help but think.

Truly, Itachi was a lucky guy.

* * *

The walk to the lake had been quick, Saki racing ahead with Naruto, Himawari, and Hiroto, leaving Sakura, Sasuke, and the rest of the Haruno bunch to settle for a normal pace, with Itachi and Kisame just a way's further, and Kakashi and Mikoto leading the rear.

This time of solitude gave both Akatsuki members the perfect opportunity to speak privately, an act which Itachi took advantage of nearly immediately.

"We shouldn't be doing this, Kisame." he warned.

And even though Kisame knew this, he couldn't help but frown in disagreement. "Just a little longer." he dismissed Itachi's concern.

"We're already behind in schedule. If he finds out-

"Madara tricked me, Itachi, just like he has tricked everyone he has ever met. I won't play the part of his puppet any longer." Kisame stated in displeasure. He would do things his way now, Madara be damned. He needed this time, particularly because since the moment he set foot within that home, thoughts of Akatsuki or of his mission had been thrown out of the window, replaced with thoughts of friends and happiness. And he needed to experience this for himself, to understand what it truly was that he wanted in life.

Itachi said nothing more on the matter -frankly, there was nothing he could say to deter Kisame any longer.

Then again, he supposed he had no one to blame but himself for this.

* * *

Mikoto had set down a large blanket, the likes of which she, Kakashi, Sakura, Marika, Sasuke, and the two Akatsuki members sat in. Naruto, Himawari, Hiroto, Daichi, and Sayuri had long since gone in, indulging themselves in the cool water and the perfectly cool breeze the night had to offer them as they watched the never-ending sea of lanterns lighting up the night sky.

"Sakura-oneesama! Sasuke-nii! The water feels great!" Saki persisted, wishing more than anything to swim with them.

"Yeah Sakura-chan! Come on in, Dattebayo!" Truth be told, Naruto was just being a pervert, and wished to see Sakura clad in nothing but a bathing suit, and he was disappointed to find her dressed in her usual attire, although he could see the elastic straps underneath, an indication of the two-piece Sakura had underneath. _How long had it been since he had seen Sakura in a two-piece? _The thought nearly gave him a nose bleed in its entirety.

Himawari rolled her eyes, knowing Naruto's perverse thoughts, but nevertheless shouted at Sakura as well, but for entirely different reasons. _Because she was there, able to be scantily clad in front of Uchiha Itachi, and it would be the most amusing thing in the world to see what he would do as a reaction._

And Hiroto, Marika, Mikoto, Kisame, and Kakashi all knew this as well, so it hadn't been long before Sakura had been pressured into going in, particularly because Marika began undressing her and dragging her into the water.

"Marika-nee!" Sakura shouted frantically, running from her elder sister as she tried to pull off Sakura's shirt.

"Come on Sakura! We came all the way here! Don't let it be a waste!" Marika snickered, knowing fully well that Sakura was only being self-conscious due to the eldest Uchiha.

But truthfully speaking, how could she not be? Especially after their embrace? After the way he had looked at her? With longing and a hint of passion and want? It had been too much for her pure mind to handle, especially because of the fact that it was _Itachi. _Nevertheless, she knew she would go in eventually, seeing as Kisame and Sasuke had decided to enter the water sometime during Marika's chase, and as such all of her friends and comrades (save Mikoto, Kakashi, and Itachi, who she knew would not go in), had already entered. With a sigh, she conceded defeat.

* * *

"Mikoto, I shall be leaving for now. I've got an early morning with Tsunade." he stated, although he knew Mikoto to not be paying attention in the slightest, particularly because she was eyeing her eldest son, who in turn was trying his best to pry his eyes away from Sakura -and failing miserably, might Mikoto add with great amusement. "Tell Sakura I say bye."

"H-Hai..." even if she said this, he knew she was still too distracted (hell, even the observant Itachi wasn't paying attention to him), and as such he decided to take his leave.

_But how could Itachi **not** stare?!_

It had occurred to him once before that Sakura was now a woman -a highly attractive woman at that, during the Gala. But this... the sight of her in a bathing suit, took it to a whole other level, so much so in fact that he felt emotions stirring within him, emotions he had felt towards the Six-Tailed Jinchuuriki, which he now felt towards the Nine-Tails, who was openly ogling Sakura without restraint. But, he supposed he wasn't at all upset by how Sakura handled the situation pummeling Naruto into the lake as he skid atop the water like a smooth, round stone. Then again, how could he be angry at the Jinchuuriki if what he was doing was hardly any better? Just the thought made him look away from her, although his gaze was soon enough on her once more.

And upon seeing this pleased expression on Itachi's face, Mikoto could no longer contain her amusement and finally laughed, an action which snapped Itachi out of his thoughts and had him staring at his mother. "You truly haven't changed a bit when it really comes down to it, Itachi." the smile she gave him was that of a blissfully happy mother, glad to have her son back.

Yet, Itachi could not understand how she surmised this by the way that he had been staring at Sakura (and with much embarrassment he acknowledged that _yes,_ he had been staring at Sakura far too intently, and that _yes,_ his mother had caught him).

"It's obvious that you still like her." she stated simply. Had Itachi been a lesser man he would have choked, but before he could deny his mother's statement she spoke once more. "You don't have to agree with me if you don't want to. I know this is probably embarrassing for you." He had never liked anyone (other than Sakura), had never openly admitted being attracted to a woman before, and as such she could only imagine how Itachi was handling these foreign emotions within him. "You know, Itachi-kun, for what it's worth," she changed the subject, a more thoughtful and serious expression on her face, "Had we went along with the coup, I would have done everything within my power, everything possible, to prevent Fugaku from slaughtering Sakura, if only to have her marry you somewhere down the line." her sudden statement nearly took Itachi aback. Why was she bringing that up after all this time? Yet, she did not stop there. "Alongside you, the two of you would have been able to properly lead the clan, despite the pressure from the Uchiha Elders and that of Fugaku."

Itachi remained silent for a long time, processing this information. "She is very intuitive and strong-willed." Itachi acknowledged. She handled surprises and tough situations rather well; she was strong, smart, and completely devoted to Konoha. "It would have been a smart move." he finally stated, knowing that Sakura would be a great clan head -in fact, she was.

Mikoto blinked, nearly amused by Itachi's train of thought. "I wasn't doing it for the politics, Itachi." she denied. "I was doing it for you. Because she helps to bring out the best in you, Itachi-kun."

And as she stated this, Itachi couldn't help but let his eyes once more land on Sakura, although he hadn't expected her to be staring straight at him as well from her location inside the water. She gave him a small smile, and it was at that very moment that it hit Itachi, just how stunningly beautiful she looked under the moonlight, and for the briefest of moments it all seemed to stop, the splashing of the water and the sounds of laughter and shouts, and it was just them, as if Itachi was completely captivated by her very being -which... he was.

And Sakura couldn't help but notice how intensely he was looking at her, and as such their moment was stopped as she looked away, a clear blush on her face.

And it was at this precise moment that Itachi was once more reminded of their past, their time together back when he was thirteen, and for the first time in a long time, he didn't feel so alone.

Maybe his mother was right.

Maybe she did help bring out the best in him.

* * *

Little by little, the occupants of the lake began to exit, either tired or pruny, but not Sakura, who, despite having been in there for over thirty minutes, still had a raging, wild blush on her face just by recalling Itachi's heated stare. _Why was he doing that? And why now, when he had been nothing but nonchalant and stoic on any other occasion? _

She couldn't come up with an answer, but more than anything, she didn't want to approach the shore and face him -what could she say? What could she do, for that matter?

So concentrated on her own thoughts, she hadn't heard Mikoto call out to her and exclaim that they were starting to head back. But she lay there, on her back, watching the night-sky, previously filled with lanterns.

But just as she was about to head back to shore she suddenly sensed movement and looked, seeing Itachi approaching her, using his chakra to walk on the relatively still water. She watched on curiously, wondering what it was that he wanted. She waited until he was but a few feet away from her, and then spoke. "Is there something you need?"

"We need to discuss our reason for being here before we depart."

Sakura allowed a pause between their conversation, a way of keeping the atmosphere calm. "I assume it has something to do with what you told me last time." Sakura stated.

"Hn"

Sakura sighed. "Alright, I'll meet you back at shore." And so she waited for Itachi to return to the shore before she settled for a quick swim, going towards the location where Mikoto had been-

-Only to find them gone, and her towel gone with them. And it was then that she once again became extremely self-conscious about her attire. _'I'm half naked in front of Itachi...' _she let the thought sink in dreadfully. Even her clothes for gone, for Kami's sake, and she looked around frantically, hoping someone had left her something to wear.

But unfortunately they hadn't, and before she could apologize to him she suddenly heard a puff of smoke, and before she knew it Itachi had suddenly draped his Akatsuki cloak over her figure, successfully covering up the entirety of her body and then some. "A-Arigatou..." her blushing face could not be hidden, but he did not comment on it, as they quietly made their way back to the Haruno Compound.

Frankly, he had to give her the cloak -he would have driven himself mad seeing her like that with nobody else around.

**End of Chapter**

**So, I'm hoping Sasuke and Itachi weren't too ooc, or that the scenario seemed far-fetched. At this point in time, Kisame has already made up his mind of protecting Sakura, and Itachi... well, I think it's clear where he stands x)**

**Furthermore, now that Tobi/Madara/Obito knows, he'll want to act fast to protect his plans c: If you guys have any questions about the story so far, any uncertainties or confusion, let me know! Things will start to get a little more complicated from now on, so its best you all know what's going on beforehand c:**

**I'm not going to lie, my favorite part about this chapter was probably the small scene with Mikoto and Itachi, as well as Mikoto and Kisame.**

**As a spoiler, i shall state that the next chapter will reveal mysterious of the Haruno Clan Massacre.**

**I'd like to make out a quick thank you to Stormy (Guest Reviewer) for refueling my motivation to update with her many reviews =]**

**And I'm interested to know if any of you guys can figure out what Kisame has to tell Sakura, other than warning her about the danger she was in ^_^**

**On another note, I have a question: How steamy do you guys want the ita x saku moments to get? XD How much would be appropriate, given their relationship/how long they've been apart? XD Im struggling with this XD**

**Comments, concerns, reviews, critiques, questions? Leave 'em all here! Any and all feedback is much appreciated~!**

**-MarzSpy**


	15. The Fall of Akatsuki

**Heyyooo! The long-awaited next chapter is here =] We got through the cute Ita x saku last chapter, and... here I am with some more ita x saku =D Plus, the hidden mysteries of the Haruno Clan Massacre shall be revealed ^-^ It's all starting to come together I can't wait for you all to read it ^_^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters in any way, shape, or form**

**Chapter 15: The Fall of Akatsuki**

* * *

_It was a peculiar sight to see his ring flashing so soon after they had received their mission. It was even more so peculiar that Itachi hadn't appeared alongside him almost immediately afterwards, an indication that perhaps the message was directly to him -and why would that be?_

_But he was surrounded by Itachi's family and friends (sort of) alike, and as such he excused himself, stating that he had forgotten something by the lake and hurried off, not that anyone paid all that much attention to him. But he fled, his ring rightfully so covered, and once he knew they could no longer see him, he fled into the nearby bushes, deep enough so no one would be able to tell their current location. He was swift, knowing that it would be suspicious if he took too long in answering, unsealing his cloak from the scroll and throwing it on, hiding the fact that he wasn't wearing his normal shinobi attire underneath. _

_And with a sigh to steady his breath and calm his nerves, he did the hand signs to start the holographic communication. "Hai, Leader-sa-" But he cut himself off, noticing that this was not Pein. "Tobi?"_

_"Kisame." He addressed the Kiri rogue, not with his usual exuberant "KISAME-SENPAI!" that would normally come out of his mouth, something Kisame noted and as such remained wary._

_"Are you sending a message on behalf of Leader-sama?" he question, none the wiser, or so he was attempting to be perceived as._

_"On behalf of the Leader of Akatsuki, yes; but not on behalf of Pein." And as he stated this, Kisame's heart began to beat a little harder, although it wasn't noticeable. "Is Itachi with you?" he questioned._

_"Iee. He's out patrolling." he simply answered, watching as Tobi gave a curt nod. He watched with a foreboding feeling beginning to settle in his stomach, as Tobi's hand went up to his mask, hovering over it for several seconds, before he pulled it off in one swift motion._

_The silence lay thick as Kisame looked up at the man, someone he had seen in his past long, long ago. "Madara." _

_"You don't seem entirely surprised." Madara mused._

_"I began to have my suspicions." Kisame shrugged. "How else would someone as incompetent as Tobi join our ranks with your permission? But to what do I owe this pleasure?" Kisame shifted his weight, appearing more casual, a sort of relaxed manner to show Madara that he was still on his side, although he was internally in some sort of panic. Was he calling because he knew? Knew what they were doing now?_

_"I suppose your suspicion was warranted. And as for my business-..." he seemed to contemplate this. "What are your thoughts on Itachi, Kisame?"_

_Kisame raised an eyebrow, although he couldn't help but think 'Is this what Itachi meant when he said his cover had nearly been blown?'. "I have none; he is my partner. Nothing more, nothing less. Should I have any?"_

_"Do you think yourself capable of fighting him and defeating him, if need be?" _

_His eyes could have widened at the information -he wasn't quite sure at this point. "Probably not. Why?"_

_"Itachi has proven himself a traitor to our cause, Kisame." The silence lay thick as Madara let his statement sink in. "He can no longer be trusted to continue in our organization, but we cannot let him walk away with all the valuable information he must have gathered over the years."_

_The implication was clear to Kisame. "I understand what must be done, but I doubt I can take him on and win." _

_"That is why you two shall go capture the hachibi. Make use of Itachi's weakened state after the battle. I'm sure you could take him then; your stamina far exceeds Itachi's own."_

_His hands, hidden behind his cloak, tightly gripped into fists. "It'll get done, Madara."_

_Madara seemed pleased at his resolution. "I'm glad I can count on you, Kisame." and with that the hologram was gone, but Kisame remained there for a long time, his face contorted into something akin to turmoil and conflict. _

_This was it. The moment he would choose his path for good._

* * *

Sakura attempted her best to keep her eyes straight ahead, if only because she was still extremely conscious of the fact that she was scantily clad next to the Uchiha male. Especially because thoughts of her attire made her question how she would react if he were in a similar state, and it was enough to have Sakura blush at the thought. Truth be told, she wasn't the least bit tempted to talk to him, his calm demeanor portraying none of his inner musings, unbeknownst to her.

Luckily, it seemed that their walk in solitude would not be so long, because just as they had climbed up the small hill, they saw Kisame standing there, a face expression that did not betray his thoughts. It seemed like something had snapped Kisame out of his state of fun and relaxation, something which Itachi presumed had been a message from either Pein or Madara. And he had a feeling he knew who it had been, and what had been discussed, but he dare not linger on these thoughts for the time being.

"We should get going soon." Kisame spoke as the Haruno and Uchiha heirs respectively approached him.

"Hn." Itachi agreed silently.

"We may talk inside our home. Preferably once I'm properly dressed." Sakura stated.

Kisame could have snorted, having noticed that Naruto had taken Sakura's towel (an innocent act, for he had simply forgotten his), but upon seeing this, Marika and Himawari had also done them the favor of taking Sakura's clothes as well. The Haruno bunch were truly scandalous. "Hai."

And so the trio walked in mutual silence, all three of them too busy with their respective thoughts and inner musings, until they had reached the household. From there, Sakura led them to their meeting room, and excused herself to change, although she did notify Hiroto to keep her company. As the second oldest and as such the second in command as far as her clan hierarchy went, he had as much to know.

* * *

By the time Sakura had changed, everyone seemed to have made themselves scarce, although she had not the slightest clue as to where they had gone (but clearly, they had gotten the message). Hiroto had been sitting on one side of the square table, an empty spot alongside him, and Kisame and Itachi sitting across him, their backs turned to the open scenery of the backyard of the household.

"I am sorry for having kept you all waiting. We can now began discussing whatever it was that you came to tell me." Sakura's aura had changed, her normally out-going and casual demeanor having turned serious, if only because she knew of the severity of the conversation that was about to ensue.

Itachi remained silent, indicating to Kisame that he should speak. "Itachi's already warned you of the danger you may find yourself in if you stay here any longer." Kisame starts out.

"And is it safe to assume that you know who is after my head as well, then?" Sakura inquired, tilting her head in casual confusion.

Kisame did not respond, although he looked away in hesitancy and guilt.

"As I thought." Sakura sighed, slow to get up and approach the shoji door that opened to reveal the backyard, and its dozens and dozens of Sakura tree. "I am as safe as I will ever be within this very compound." Sakura assured. "Furthermore, I believe it safe to assume that if he's after me, he's after my kinsmen as well. Am I correct to state this?"

Kisame frowned. "Probably." Truth be told, he didn't know why Madara was after her, but he knew she was just the tip of the iceberg. His eyes filled with uncertainty and guilt, not that Sakura could see it from her position behind them, nor could Hiroto understand why. What was he guilty about?

"Now more than ever I refuse to leave, then." Sakura stated, slow to turn back around and settle once more alongside Hiroto, across from both Akatsuki members. "An attack on my kinsmen is an attack on me. I will not run away and leave them to fend for themselves. Itachi, I'm sure you of all people understand my responsibility to my clan; to my family. The insinuation was clear to both the Uchiha and the Harunos', not that Kisame could understand what this meant. "But I will not get into the specifics. Seeing Kisame's face expression now let's me know he isn't aware of the truth behind your betrayal."

Kisame glanced at Itachi, although said Uchiha remained impassive and nonchalant. If he was concerned or worried about what Sakura had just stated, he didn't show it. But now was not the right time to ask about such things; they were here for Sakura, and if Itachi would allow it, Kisame would find out the so-called truth behind the massacre afterwards.

"Nevertheless, I thank you both for your concern." she stated, and although she meant this to apply to the both of them, she looked directly at Kisame as she said this. "Especially you, Kisame. You hold no ties to Konoha; your concern means more than I can express in words." she was brutally honest. After all, she was but a ghost of his past, someone who had repaid the favor by saving him. He owed her nothing, but he had come nonetheless, had pushed Itachi into coming, when he had no real reason to. "I am sorry that your trip will be in vane, but I do not plan on leaving. Whoever Tobi is, he can come for me, and I will be waiting here."

And that had been that, because there simply was no changing her mind on the matter despite how strongly they felt. And even though Sakura seemed to try and ease their qualms through a smile, as if stating that it would be alright, Kisame couldn't help but frown. Because no, it wouldn't be, not if Madara got his hands on her. If only she knew what he was capable of, _what he had done_, then she would know that he wasn't a force to be taken so lightly. "Sakura... Tobi... he-..." but he didn't know what to say; he didn't know what he could say to deter her, especially not after the way that Itachi had glanced at him, or the way that his voice had hitched in his throat at the thought of telling her.

She could not know of his identity. Not yet. Because if she found out, she would be forced to alert Tsunade and Tsunade would be forced to alert her alliances, namely Suna, Kiri, and Kumo, and before they knew it everyone would know of Madara's identity and it would be traced back to them. Itachi could live with it, for he was sure he was already dead in Madara's eyes, but the same could not be said for Kisame. And even if he were to be innocent of spilling the beans, Madara would off him anyway for the simple fact that Itachi was his partner, and he could not afford any more secrets to get out.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "He what?"

Kisame frowned. "Nothing..." His heart clenched uncomfortably at the knowledge he held, at the knowledge only he held.

_She needed to know._

But he did not have the heart to tell her, could not fathom how her world would come crashing down on her if she found out, and could not bear to be the person to tell her. "We should get going..." He had nothing more to say to her.

Sakura frowned. What had Kisame been trying to tell her? Nevertheless, she could not force the truth out of him, regardless of how badly she wanted to. "Very well. I will escort you out of the compound." yet, as she stood to leave, Kisame was quick to shake his head in refusal.

"That will not be necessary Sakura. Thank you for your hospitality today. It was a refreshing change of scenery." Kisame admitted as he and Itachi stood. "And thank everyone else for us too."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Will you not be saying bye to them?" This statement seemed to be directed more so to Itachi than him.

"It's best I not." Itachi stated, although he offered no further explanation. "We are late enough as it is. We will have to speed up to make up for lost time and arrive to Kumo before sunrise." this statement, he directed towards Kisame, although if it were meant for only him, he would have been the only one to hear it.

Sakura could tell he deliberately informed both she and Hiroto of their impending destination, a foreshadowing of what was to come, and she tucked this piece of information away. "Very well. Safe travels."

And even though they left without so much as another warning, disappearing with a puff of smoke respectively, Sakura and Hiroto remained standing, on edge and worried. "Their concerns must be warranted to have them come all the way here to tell you personally to flee." Hiroto warned. Truth be told, he knew Sakura was doing this for them, staying behind to protect them, but he could not stand to think that because of him, because of his family, that Sakura was putting herself in perilous danger. If they all left, it would mean that they had been tipped off and they would blow Kisame's and Itachi's covers respectively, of which he knew Sakura did not wish for. And if she left, then she would be safe, but she would leave the rest of her kinsmen vulnerable and defenseless.

"I will not discuss my decision a second time, Hiroto." Sakura seemed indifferent. "If you will excuse me, I am going to send word to Tsunade-shishou about today's events." And with that she was off, her heart pounding uncomfortably.

* * *

Despite Itachi's statement of making up for lost time, after having left the general area surrounding Konoha, they had settled for a leisurely pace on one of the off roads in the back country, not a word spoken between them, each kept relatively busy by their own myriad of thoughts. Among Itachi's was his small conscious reprimanding him for the actions he had taken back at the Haruno Compound. How had he allowed himself to stray so far from the plan? They were supposed to get in, warn Sakura, and get out, and somehow he had found himself _dining_ with them, and even talking to his Okaa-san and otouto, and even _admiring Sakura's physical attributes, of all things!_

No, this had definitely not been part of the plan.

Perhaps it had been due to his lapse of judgement or sanity, or because of the fact that he was eerily aware of the fact that he could not go on much longer with this charade in Akatsuki; his time was running out, and once Madara found out, if he hadn't already, Itachi was as good as dead. But at the end of the day, Itachi had not been able to deny himself of indulging in the presence of those he once cherished so dearly, some sort of what-if's playing in his mind, especially after his Okaa-san's mention of wedding him and Sakura together.

What would have become of him then? Of Konoha? Of Akatsuki and Madara?

There was no way to tell, not that Itachi honestly wanted an answer; it would make things too difficult, give Itachi some sense of concrete evidence to stay by Sakura's side, of which he knew he couldn't afford. He had chosen his path of loneliness, and he would walk it without question.

Ironically enough, Kisame's thoughts differed minimally to that of Itachi's. So much so in fact, that he could no longer keep on their journey, and as such, he had stopped walking, even if Itachi still walked several paces before he stopped and stared at the Kiri-nin in question. Kisame did not reply, not with words at least, as he instead shuffled his hand threw his robe and slowly pulled out a kunai, noticing that Itachi hadn't even stared at him in some sort of careful warning. He was completely open and vulnerable in front of Kisame, all the more reason, all the more fueling Kisame to follow his decision. He approached Itachi calmly, Itachi all the while remaining unmoving, until Kisame finally stood before him, and motioned him to grab the kunai currently in the shark-nin's hand.

He had made a promise to Mikoto of watching over her son, and this promise, if nothing else, he would make sure he fulfilled. "Madara ordered me to dispose of you." he declared boldly, not missing the way Itachi didn't even blink in alert-ness or confusion. "But I refuse to do as he says any longer." The implication of his actions was clear to Itachi, and he had to admit that he was surprised that things had developed this way; that Kisame had chosen this path, of all.

"Put your kunai away, Kisame." Itachi remained nonchalant as he spoke.

"I would rather die at the hands of a friend than at the hands of Madara." Kisame refused. Because if he refused to kill Itachi, then Madara would make sure that he would get the job done and then eliminate Kisame for his treachery on top of it. At least this way, Itachi would be left alive, and Kisame would be able to say he died for a cause he thought truly worthwhile. For friendship, friendships that had not disappeared in over eleven years, and had transcended shinobi laws and alliances.

He had never seen a cause truer than that of Sakura's and Itachi's, and he could not stand by any longer to see her, or Itachi, throw their lives away to fight a force beyond them.

"And why do you need to die for this?" Itachi asked him. Why not just flee Akatsuki? Why not end it there? Why did he have to commit to taking a life, either Itachi's or his own?

"In this way, Madara will think his plan was discovered before the fight. Your ties with Akatsuki will be cut, and I will die with a clean conscious over my head."

Itachi could have sneered at Kisame's response. So it was all for a clear conscious? "Follow your own path, Kisame. Not the one paved for you by Madara." Despite Madara's power, he could not dictate the decisions Kisame would make -the possible options available to him.

"Can't you see that there is no path for me to follow?" Kisame seemed nearly amused, though grateful to see Itachi standing up for him. "There is no place for a missing-nin like me." the statement was bittersweet. "Itachi, you have a choice. You have people who care for you and are waiting for you."

"Idiot. You think Sakura would ever forgive me if I returned without you alongside me?"

Kisame grew quiet.

But Itachi did not stop there. "I recall a certain Hokage stating you were always welcome in Konoha." Itachi stated. He pushed the kunai away from him and back into Kisame's possession, before walking past Kisame, in the opposite direction in which they had been headed. Now that Madara had no need for him, he no longer cared to obtain the Jinchuuriki. And with this thought, he undid his Akatsuki cloak and let it fall to his feet.

_He was free._

And it was all because of Sakura, for better or for worse.

Kisame watched Itachi's actions with mild curiosity. "Where are you going Itachi?"

Itachi stopped walking for the briefest of moments. "I'm going home. Don't make me wait, Kisame."

His words spurred something within Kisame, made him feel some sort of pride well up within him. He had made the right choice. And with this thought, he couldn't help but grin and run to catch up to Itachi, all the while shedding his Akatsuki cloak as Itachi had done. "You are lucky, Itachi. To have such a nice and understanding group of friends and family." his face expression, for the first time in a really long time, seemed relaxed and free of turmoil. He was finally at peace.

"You are a fool Kisame," he paused momentarily as he formulated his thought process, "for not realizing that you too, had obtained a family without even knowing it." Because Kisame was like a brother to him, and Sakura had made it perfectly clear where she stood in regards to her relationship with Kisame; and don't even get him started with the rest of the Haruno Clan and his own kinsmen.

Kisame contemplated Itachi's response. "I guess you're right..." he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. But then his expression turned serious, momentarily forgetting about this sudden turn of events. "What are we to do about Madara's Moon Eye Plan?" he seemed troubled, especially in knowing he had helped Madara further such a despicable plot.

"The Akatsuki will be destroyed from within itself soon. Without Pein or Konan, and neither of us, that only leaves him, Zetsu, and Deidara. Of which I'm sure Deidara will want his freedom, and flee accordingly. A plan of such great scale with just two people is bound to fail, especially with the new generation of shinobi Madara is now facing." He couldn't help but think in particular of Team 7, such a strong, remarkable team, all of which with training from the three legendary sannin. They would move on to accomplish great things, given the opportunity, he was sure.

The only way to stop Madara now would be through careful planning on their behalf.

"Let's hope so..." Kisame sighed. "More importantly, there had been something I wanted to tell Sakura..." he hesitated.

Itachi raised an eyebrow. What more was there to be said that they hadn't? Other than Madara's identity, that is.

"It's about the massacre..." The way that Kisame had stated it, the way that he looked, Itachi could tell that this wasn't about the Uchiha, but rather, the Haruno. "I hadn't had the heart to tell her, but it's his fault, y'know... He was the one behind it all..."

Itachi could not stop his eyes from narrowing at the information, although Kisame didn't stop there.

"He had Yagura, the previous Mizukage, under his control. He conspired in the background, using the misconstrued history of the origins of the Haruno Clan to gain contempt from his people to the Haruno name. The plan of course, as told by Yagura, was to retrieve the heir and start anew. Of course, Madara planned to eliminate her personally upon her capture..."

He had been behind not just the Uchiha Massacre, but the Haruno as well -it seemed he wanted to make sure there wasn't anyone to stand in his way, and he was sure there were more mysteries behind Madara that they had yet to discover. "How do you know all this with certainty?"

At the statement, Kisame's eyes seemed to darken. "I had been in contact with Madara for several months prior to the massacre. I had told him that if he planned on enlisting my help, that he would tell me the entirety of his plans; I know now he never did, but among what he did share with me had been his plan to kill them. I-" he cut himself off momentarily, almost as if deeply regretful for what he was about to say. "I had been there -the night of the massacre. I was more of an over-seer, but... I had been there nonetheless." He acknowledged bitterly. He could still remember the very shock he had felt when coming across the Haruno eleven years ago in a forest by the borders of Konoha and Kiri, but a child on her own, and had been nearly filled with guilt for being rescued by the very surname he had helped eliminate. So how could he not have saved her then, when she had been vulnerable, heavily injured, and hunted down by Orochimaru? It had been the least that he could do, even though he knew that this burden, he would carry all his life.

And after he had considered his debt repaid, she goes around and, for a second time, saves him, this time from interrogation and his eventual death, so how could he not feel forever indebted to her kindness and loyalty? Not protecting her was a betrayal in itself! "I'm almost afraid of Sakura's reaction once she finds out..." he admitted. Would she hate him after knowing he had been a part of the revolt that had killed her clan? Would she be resentful? Would he still be welcome in her home?

"Sakura is understanding." Itachi stated, a means of comforting Kisame.

Kisame sighed. "I sure hope so."

* * *

The base was practically abandoned. With Kakuzu, Hidan, and Sasori already eliminated, Kisame and Itachi away on a mission, and Zetsu away as he always was, it might as well be a ghost town. And not to mention Madara had very likely just sent Itachi to his grave; their numbers were thinning, and they were practically out of time. Itachi had not spoken a single word to her since they had conversed about Sakura's immediate danger, and luckily enough between herself and Kisame, they were able to cover up the make-shift value of the bounty Itachi had supposedly gone off to do, closing the trail of lies within herself, Itachi, and Kisame. After all, it wasn't particularly strange that Konan send off some members to complete bounties, with or without alerting either Pein or Madara. But the way that Itachi had stared at her before leaving towards Kiri, had stirred feelings of unrest within her.

Something was off. And so she had kept her head low and had made sure she was not being followed wherever she went, in fear that, if Madara was suspicious of Itachi, he would naturally start eyeing everyone else in the organization. She had spent most of her time in the library, as she always did, although this time around it was more so because she was hoping to have received some sort of message from Itachi rather than to focus on her usual affairs. But none had come, and just as she was about to give up she suddenly found a letter addressed to her, in the hand writing that she had familiarized as Itachi. But one could never be so sure that this wasn't Madara simply using his Sharingan, and as such she had taken extra precaution with said letter, biding her time to check every inch of the letter, to make sure it was indeed Itachi's. Once pleased, she allowed herself to read its contents frantically, in fear that someone would walk in -one could never be so sure anymore.

_Madara ordered Kisame to kill me, but his plan failed. The less you know the better. Do not expect my return. Be careful._

It was a short, simple letter, but the magnitude of the severity of the situation dawned on her. _Had Itachi killed Kisame? _She knew Itachi had purposely not gone into specifics to protect her, but in her heart she knew the duo incapable of hurting each other, if Kisame protecting Itachi earlier than week was an indication of anything. But perhaps most important here, was that Madara had laid his cards down on the table, and so had Itachi.

She had no more allies left in this base, other than Pein, and she would make it her sole duty to protect him until her last dying breath.

* * *

There had been a quiet, scratchy pecking on his door. Peculiar, for he had never heard the sound before. As such, Tobi went to investigate the source of the noise, opening his door to reveal a lone raven, a note held firmly in his beak. Tobi narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but bent down to receive the letter nonetheless, its contents clearly addressed to him. He opened said envelope, only to find a small piece of paper.

_Your plan failed_

_-Itachi_

His eyes widened, able to clearly see two Akatsuki rings within the envelope, the one he could identify as Kisame's clearly bloody. His anger rose, crumbling the piece of paper in his hand, but as he looked back towards the crow he found that it had already disappeared, and with it the last remaining form of contact with his infuriating kinsmen.

* * *

Work at the hospital had been relatively easy on this particular day, although it might have something to do with the fact that her hours had been cut, and her shift had been switched from surgical procedures to medical check-ups, which took little to no chakra use; an act she knew to have been ordered by Tsunade, if only because they knew someone was after her head, someone far more dangerous than Orochimaru. As such, for the past few days she had been coddled over and carefully watched, if not by her own kinsmen or members of her squad, then by Shizune and Tsunade themselves. It irritated her, truth be told, but then she was reminded of how defenseless she had felt against Tobi the only time she had ever truly engaged in battle with him, and thought that maybe this protecting was rightly justified.

But what did this man even want with her?

Upon returning to the Haruno Compound, she could instantly make out the chakra patterns of two shinobi she had seen literally just the night prior, two rogue shinobi that had been on their way to Kumo to capture the hachibi. She couldn't help but wonder what it was they wanted now, and was definitely not as nervous to approach them, atop a cherry blossom tree within the confines of the Haruno Compound.

"I wasn't expecting you two to be back so soon." she greeted them, noticing right off the bat that they wore no henge, although their Akatsuki cloaks were not on.

"Neither were we." Kisame stated casually, as he and Itachi stepped down from the tree and approached Sakura.

"Is something wrong?" she arched a delicate eyebrow, eyeing Itachi but expecting Kisame to answer anyway.

"No –if anything, things are actually quite peachy." Kisame stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

Confusion filled her green orbs. "Alright, seriously, what's going on?" Why had they changed their mind about going for the hachibi? Had their mission been altered or reassigned?

"You wanted to know Tobi's identity, right?" Kisame stated, all smiles gone from his expression. At the mention, Sakura's heart pounded against her chest, but she said nothing, simply nodding her head seriously.

"We have much to discuss, then." It had been Itachi who spoke, his dark orbs staring straight at Sakura.

Sakura nodded. "I will assemble a meeting. Follow me."

* * *

Kisame and Itachi had deemed it safe to notify Sakura of Madara's identity, if only because they knew that they would be there to personally protect her against him. Plus, it didn't hurt knowing that Madara would no longer strike with Itachi alongside the Haruno. As such, they had come to a joint agreement of telling Sakura everything, even Kisame's involvement in the Haruno massacre, despite Kisame's hesitancy in doing so.

Sakura had made their sitting accommodations at the back of the compound, the shoji door to the outside of the compound open, revealing a small pond and beautiful Sakura trees as far as the eyes can see. Sakura had notified every clan member, as well as the Uchiha, Kakashi, and Naruto that they were having an emergency meeting, one which they all had to attend, and so there they sat, waiting for roughly fifteen minutes until everyone had arrived and had seated themselves around the table, all huddled up together due to the lack of room.

There was tension in the room, a sense of finality in the air because they knew that after all of these years the masked man named Tobi would finally be revealed, and with this last piece of information, they would be able to complete the puzzle and find a way to defeat him.

And so, without further delay, Kisame began talking, first with his assassination of Fuguki, and the lone shadow controlling the Mizukage that had identified himself as one "Uchiha Madara", a ghost of a dark past that none knew too clearly about.

And with just that very statement, light-bulbs began to appear in the minds of the Harunos' and that of Mikoto, Kakashi, and Sasuke, in particular because they could still remember the way that Yagura had acted about the entire ordeal following the attack.

"_He did this?!" _Sakura was so angry her eyes lit up, and alongside her she could see Sayuri's own eyes did the same, and Himawari was holding back Hiroto from abruptly standing up and demanding where this damned Madara was. Sakura and her family members had acted exactly as Kisame had expected, but he had not finished his tale, although Kakashi had butted in, if only to return everyone to their right state of mind and remain objective for the time being, although he knew this to more than likely be a fruitless attempt.

"He must have had some key motive to suspect the Harunos' would get in his way. I understand why the Uchiha, for any pair of highly honed Mangekyou eyes could control the Jinchuuriki at will –but the Haruno cannot. So why eliminate them?" Kakashi asked a question that none had the answer to.

They sat in silence and thought, but could come up with nothing. And this just fueled Sakura's anger. Her clan was killed because they were a potential threat to Madara's plans? _Because they would get in his way? Her own mother was killed because of some selfish bastard's desire to rule the world? Why her family? Why not the Hyuga? Why not the Nara? What made her clan so special?_

But she was not the only one thinking this, was not the only one wondering what set them apart, when suddenly someone cleared their throat. "It's you Sakura…" Sayuri suddenly spoke, all eyes turning to her, her eyes wide and her hands quivering in anger and denial. "You're the reason…" her eyes had long since turned back to their original color, her anger still being expressed in her tone, and she looked at Sakura straight in the eyes. "He was fearful of the Haruno heir. He created the massacre in hopes that you wouldn't fulfill the role that you were meant to. He knew of the prophecy..."

All eyes suddenly turned to Sakura. And in all honesty, it made sense, and it suddenly clicked for everyone in the room who knew of this supposed prophecy, the exceptions of this being the likes of Naruto, and the remaining Uchihas' in the room, although Itachi was genuinely surprised that something like this had been prophesized -and about Sakura, of all people? Because if her power was supposedly so great, it was clear that Madara would want to prevent it. '_It's all my fault…' _Silence filled the room yet again, the tension thick as the reality sank in for all of them.

"There is more to be shared..." Kisame stated quietly, knowing that the next part to be shared would honestly be the hardest for him. "I'm not proud of it Sakura... and if I could take it back I would, but..." his hands were gripped tightly, his eyes staring down in guilt.

But just this was enough to alert Sakura of what he was about to say, and she shook her head, a way of stopping him. "Say no more, Kisame. What matters now is that you are here with us now. Madara played you, like he has everyone else in his life, and you cannot be held accountable for this."

He didn't know why, but it felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, even more so than earlier that day.

"Several months later is when I discovered Madara." Itachi suddenly spoke, turning all eyes from Kisame to Itachi. "He was poking around the ancient Naka Shrine in order to learn secrets of the Uchiha Clan and to use it to eventually destroy Konoha, the Uchiha Clan most important. I offered to help him exact revenge on the clan that had abandoned him in exchange for Konoha's safety. Seeing as I had already been ordered by Danzo to eliminate the clan, this was hardly a difficult decision. He accepted my deal and months later, before the massacre, he ordered I take out Sakura, who, to his knowledge, was the last Haruno alive." Kisame tried to remain unaffected by the bomb that Itachi had just slipped in, although he did tense slightly st his words. So this is why Itachi always refused to speak about the massacre...

He had tried to kill her not once, not twice, but three times already; would it ever stop?

"He has already discovered of my deceit. He had ordered Kisame eliminate me after capturing the hachibi in order to take advantage of my weakened state."

"Which explains why you two came back so early." Hiroto nodded, somewhat in awe at the bond that both rogue-nin had created, strong enough to abandon their plans in order to protect one another.

"Hn. He is running out of options; he knows it, and as such wanted you out of the picture, a sure-fire way of making sure you or any of your kinsmen don't intervene in his plans."

Despite all this new-found information, Sakura had remained relatively quiet, if only because out of everything said, there was one thing she could not get past. _It was all her fault... _And everyone knew it too -could see it in her eyes, could see it in her crest-fallen expression, in the manner in which she held herself, almost as if she had already given up.

"Madara will pay for all the suffering he has caused. Not just our clan, but yours." Sasuke spoke confidently, putting a hand on Sakura's shoulder for comfort. "It is not your fault Sakura. You cannot be at fault for things that were out of your control." He tried to comfort, although he knew with just one look in her eyes, that it wasn't going to work. "This is nobody's fault. We cannot put the blame on any one person."

"Sasuke's right." Hiroto began. "What we must do is focus on the present. What is done can no longer be changed. Neither Sakura nor Matsuro-sama will have the strength to re-write history again." Hiroto shook his head. "We will find a way to defeat Madara, and we will do it together."

Himawari smiled at Hiroto's words. "That's right. Because we are a family."

Sakura gave a small smile at Himawari's and Hiroto's words of encouragement.

"Himawari, Hiroto," she suddenly spoke, and both looked at Sakura, "I want you to report to Tsunade-sama that we have apprehended Itachi and Kisame. If we're going to do this, we need to do it right. Tsunade-sama is in this as much as we are. She's the reason everything has changed as much as it has, after all."

"Right away, Sakura-hime." Hiroto and Himawari stood up, bowed, and exited the room.

"Marika, go alert _him_ that I'll be paying him a visit tomorrow. Tell him to be ready."

"H-Hai!" Marika also stood up and briskly disappeared, but not before glancing at Sakura worriedly. Nonetheless, she knew that Sakura wanted to be alone, and as such she dragged Daichi and Sayuri away as well, although they got the message long before Marika.

One by one, all the Harunos' left, only Sakura remaining in a room with three Uchihas, Kisame, Naruto, and Kakashi.

"Let's call it a night until we receive word from Tsunade. I'm sure she'll wait til tomorrow morning before she makes anything final. She'll want to think this one through thoroughly before making any decisions on what to do."

"H-Hai…" Naruto and Sasuke said hesitantly, not used to seeing Sakura barking out orders and taking control of the situation like she had just done minutes ago.

Mikoto and Kakashi being rather used to it, nodded and began getting up. "I'll be making some midnight snacks, I'm sure you boys are hungry." She began.

"How about some ramen, Mikoto-kaa?" Naruto was quickly distracted, suddenly getting up and chasing after Mikoto.

"Hai, I can make your ramen Naruto-kun." Mikoto laughed a honey laugh, exiting the room through the shoji door.

And then there was Sasuke, Kisame, and Itachi left, watching rather tensely as Sakura turned around and went outside, staring out at the hundreds of cherry blossoms before her.

"Nee, Sasuke-san, mind showing us where we can lay down? Some spare rooms, perhaps?"

Sasuke stared, understanding the insinuation, and began getting up. "Certainly, follow me." And so they all left, leaving Sakura to her inner thoughts. Because, even though it was obvious that she was upset and was hurt by Sayuri's words, they knew she needed some time to herself. And so, they would let her have it.

* * *

Sakura didn't know how long she had been standing there, staring out at the cherry blossoms, or when she had allowed herself to flee and seek refuge within the cherry blossoms, deep within their confines.

_You're the reason, Sakura_

_You're the reason why our clan was murdered._

'_It's all my fault…'_

But of course, she had always known this, after all –she had found out the day of the massacre, when Hiroto and Himawari and Marika went through extensive efforts just to save her.

Tears slid down her face. She hadn't been able to show these tears, not in front of Naruto or Sasuke or Itachi, and definitely not in front of her clan. Because she was their heir, and she had to remain strong for the sake of her clan. But she knew she couldn't hold it in, which is why she ordered her clan away and pretty much pushed everyone out. She just needed some time to cope with things right now.

Stupid Madara. Stupid kekkei genkai, stupid lineage, stupid _everything._

Everything was stupid, down to the whole peace idealisms that her clan had. Fugaku had been right all along –he himself had stated the very first day she had met him that the Haruno way was stupid. By pushing for peace, they had only ever let their clan get walked on. Had they fought a little, perhaps none of this would have happened –perhaps her clan would still be alive, and perhaps Madara's plans would already be foiled.

Because they had paid the price, and now everything had fallen on Sakura's shoulder, and it _royally sucked._

"Sakura"

The voice that spoke her name was enough to send her chills, but she didn't dare to turn around and face the man she had not even sensed approaching. "Yes, Itachi?" she spoke, trying to hide the fact that she had been crying –_was currently crying._

But he didn't respond to her, although Sakura could distinctly hear the sounds of the gravel beneath his feet as he approached her. She could see his shadow behind her thanks to the light of the moon, but she didn't dare turn around and face him still. How could she? He'd definitely see her as weak –crying because her entire clan was dead and it was all her fault. He carried the same burden, after all, and he had coped remarkably well, and even now, eleven years later, Sakura was nothing but a puddle of goo on the ground at the thought of it.

"Sakura." He said once more, his tone more forceful. "Look at me."

She sighed, trying to let her pain escape alongside her breath, wiping her tears away. She knew her eyes were pink and tear-stained, and her cheeks were probably red from crying, but she couldn't run away from him (at least not successfully). "Hai?" she tried to smile at him, but it was weak and clearly forced, and as such she allowed her eyes to roam to the gravel on the floor, as if it were more interesting.

He took another step closer to her then, practically face to face with Sakura, but he did not move for the longest time, nor speak. "..." Frankly, there wasn't much for him to do or say. But when he finally did take up some action, he lifted his hand up tentatively, bringing it up to her chin and forcing her to look up at him. Their eyes met, and even if it was for just the briefest of moments before Sakura looked away once more, Itachi was able to see her pain and vulnerability, the very same sad eyes he had seen from the twelve year old ANBU, but unlike that last time, he couldn't just stand by and let her cope with it by herself -he couldn't even stand to think of it. "You do not have to deal with this on your own, Sakura." he commented, letting her pull away from him, his eyes boring into the back of her head as she turned away from him, his heart tense.

"I cannot allow my clan to see me this way." She shook her head in refusal. "I must remain strong in front of them."

"They are not here, Sakura." he simply stated. "Crying does not make you weak. It makes you human." And Itachi knew this from personal experience. "You allowed me to lean on your during the time of Shisui's death. It would be remiss of me to not offer you the same comfort." he stated honestly. He would not force himself on her. If she wanted a shoulder to lean on, he would be that shoulder -he could no longer stop himself from openly showing he cared, especially not after seeing how in distress she appeared, after all.

Sakura seemed to hesitate at his words, frowning as she turned to look at him slowly. "And you won't look at me differently?" Don't ask her why she was so afraid of this, because she didn't know why.

"...Hn..." He would always accept her whole-heartedly, he decided. He had no right to not, when she had done the same for him.

And so her hesitant eyes once more turned weak and watery, and she closed the gap between them and ran into his arms, held open for her to take. "It's not fair... It's not fair Itachi" she cried out, her hands gripping on to his shirt, near pounding on his figure, her tears staining the material near his collar bone. And at that very moment she decided she no longer cared that this was the man who had been her enemy mere weeks ago, and that he had tried to kill her and she him, and everything else in between. For this moment, he was just Itachi, the person she had consoled over the death of Shisui, and the man that had saved her from the hands of Orochimaru, and had stood up for her against his own clan without any reason to.

"I know." he merely stated, and of course he knew; perhaps he knew this better than she did. The pain was fresh, the wound in her heart open, and she could not stop herself from gripping on to him tighter, her face burying into his side. But he did not make a movement, or any indication of not wanting her to continue, of which she was glad, truth be told. Frankly, she couldn't quite recall herself being able to openly cry her heart out in front of someone before. Sure, she had cried enough times in front of Ino-pig and Naruto on occasions, but never like this -never to this extent, and just being able to release this pent up fury and confusion and remorse and _pain_ felt better than Sakura could have ever hoped it would.

* * *

She had cried for a long time, longer than Itachi had anticipated her to. She had tired eventually, her knees weak and her energy drained, but she still clung on to him, so he had had no choice but to lead them to the base of a miscellaneous Sakura tree. He sat himself down upon its base with Sakura alongside him, half of her currently atop him, as he cradled her as if he were her lifeline. "Will this pain ever stop, Itachi?" she half mumbled, have stuttered, half in a daze, as if she didn't even understand that she was talking.

He wished he could take her pain away -he would carry the burden for her in a heartbeat were he able to, he decided. "Iee." he finally denied after a long pause, as if he were regretful for having to crush her dreams. "But it does become more bearable." he added as an afterthought. She would become accustomed, as he did, to the burden they would forever carry on their shoulders with each passing day until it nestled into her subconscious as a fleeting guilt that liked to resurface every now and then.

"I won't rest until Madara is dead..." she stated solemnly, some sort of finality in her words. She never enjoyed taking a life, and would even say she preferred not to, but this was one life that could not go on spared.

"We will defeat him, Sakura." He wished he could console her more, say the things that she had been able to say to him at the death of Shisui, but he had never been that person, and she knew this well. Although it didn't seem like it, Sakura had saved him from his dark despair of solitude and pain. She had given him a family, and she had given him something he never thought he would receive from somebody other than his mother -_love. She had loved him unconditionally. She had known him for the monster that he was, and she had still willingly gotten close. And despite having nearly killed her and having pushed her away repeatedly, she had still been there, standing alongside him._

So how could he not do the same? She had been his shoulder to lean on during one of the darkest times of his life, and she had been the small, flickering light at the end of his tunnel, pulling him towards some semblance of happiness, even if he fought against it. "You are not alone." he assured her, although this was not meant to explain to her that she had an entire village backing her -no, this sentence was perhaps directed to one singular entity, one Uchiha Itachi.

Because he was here with her now, fully, and he would never turn his back on her again.

Sakura didn't know why his words were so comforting -why his touch was soothing enough to relax her and leave her vulnerable enough to cry on him, why his tight grip on her back made her feel like he would always be with her, why hearing his heart beating left her feeling so remarkably _safe. _"I know..."

Yet, as she thought these thoughts, she found herself coming to a sudden realization. She did know why, as a matter of fact. She had known why the moment she had seen the true person that lay behind the hidden enigma that was Uchiha Itachi, mass murdering extraordinaire. "How are you able to stay so collected all the time?" she asked genuinely, in between her sniffs and mewls of sadness.

"I have my moments, Sakura." he admitted truthfully. He would be a liar to state that it didn't get to him -that to this day nightmares of his crimes, nightmares of the blood on his hands did not haunt him. Truth be told, he could still remember every face, every pair of eyes that stared at him begging for mercy. He could still hear their pleas, remember their voices so keenly, and their final words would forever haunt his memories, and even further imprint themselves in his heart. Perhaps he had done this to himself purposely, making sure his Sharingan eyes never left his victims. If he had to kill them, then he would make sure they were never forgotten; it was the least he could do for taking everything away from such innocent lives, he believed. "I have lived the past decade of my life in constant fear and pain, running from my demons and reminding myself that everything leading up to my death has a purpose." It had been hard, especially in knowing that the one person he had found some sort of remote solace in, Sakura, had despised him after the events following the massacre. Had he not had to kill her, he had always thought decidedly, perhaps he could have found comfort in her existence, in knowing that they had shared something special. But after the actions that Madara had forced him to take, he had been left decidedly alone, without anyone who truly understood him or his afflictions.

And that had hurt, perhaps more than killing his clan, knowing that he had had somebody he could have perhaps connected with on such a deep level, and knowing that he was the very reason that that bond no longer existed.

But here he was now, eleven years later, with that very same kunoichi he had broken his bonds with, coddled in his arms, and just the knowledge of this seemed to bring back all of the emotions that Itachi had refused to face since the night of the massacre.

He could not shed a single tear at this, felt not the need to, for the past was the past and could irrevocably not be changed. But the present could, and as such he would make the best of the time he did have left. He would make the difference he had failed to initially, he decided with some sort of inward resolution, just as Sakura looked up at him, her tears still sliding down her cheeks.

She stared deep into his eyes, her warm and bright eyes looking straight through him and into his soul. And there she saw it –his pain, his vulnerability, his loneliness, but she could see it, flickers of the emotions she had thought were long gone in Itachi, his kindness and his compassion and _his ability to love._

Sasuke had been right all alone –Itachi was not too far gone.

Of which she was glad, because she was sure that whatever was left of her sanity would have gone with Itachi to the grave after this ordeal was over had he remained an enemy. But for now, she was drained, but emotionally and physically exhausted, and she found that she could do nothing more than rest her head upon Itachi's partially soaked shoulder -frankly, there was nothing else she wanted to do at this moment. And so with this thought in mind, she allowed her eyes to close and her thoughts to drift, to a happier life, a happier future where things didn't look so grim.

And there Itachi sat, watching as exhaustion finally settled over her completely and took the kunoichi in his arms to the land of dreams which hopefully would not torment her too much on this night. Eventually, Itachi stood with his pink-haired ex-teammate in his arms, careful to not wake her as he returned her to the Haruno Compound.

* * *

When Itachi had returned to the Compound, he found just a select few shinobi up. Among them were Kisame and Mikoto, both simultaneously concerned for Itachi and Sakura, as well as Marika and Hiroto. Sayuri, Himawari, and Daichi had long since retired to Hiroto's house, deciding that they preferred to be together on this night. Kakashi had long since retired to his own apartment, and Naruto had knocked out on the couch, alongside Sasuke who had attempted his best to await the return of Sakura and his aniki, but had not been able to.

Marika and Hiroto seemed tense upon finding Sakura unconscious and in Itachi's arms, but only because they knew how distressed Sakura must have been to pass out from exhaustion. "How is she?" Mikoto approached the two of them, looking over Sakura's figure.

"She'll be fine." Itachi stated with confidence. "She's strong."

Mikoto nodded, giving her son a small smile. "I know. Marika, can you escort Itachi to Sakura's bedroom so we can put her to bed?"

"Of course." Marika nodded. And so Sakura was carried off to bed and tucked away, as Marika and Itachi returned to the kitchen.

"What had Tsunade said?" Itachi finally spoke upon his return, noticing that all occupants still awake had gathered to discuss matters.

"She said that she's still fighting the Elders over Kisame's previous escape. If we turn you guys in it'll mean sure death before we can do anything about the matter. As such, she deems it better you two stay hidden in the Haruno household until she has time to sort out her agenda and come here to properly discuss matters." Hiroto stated with a sigh. "And I'm likened to agree, especially if what you say about Danzo ordering the massacre of the Uchiha is true. He won't give you time to clear your name, in fear that it'll jeopardize him." Hiroto added as an after-thought.

"More than likely." Itachi agreed.

"I guess for now all that's left to do is wait." Marika stated, stretching her limbs. "Itachi-san, you may take my spare room here, if you'd like. I have my own apartment, although I think I'm going to crash at Hiroto's tonight. Of course if you have no objections." She directed her second statement towards Hiroto.

"Suit yourself." Hiroto dismissed her concern.

"Arigatou." she stated, and then directed her attention to Kisame. "And we have a spare for you as well, Kisame-san. If you two follow me I can escort you to your rooms."

"Arigatou." Kisame gave a curt nod, although he noticed that Itachi didn't make an indication of leaving just yet.

"Itachi will find his way, don't worry." Mikoto assured them. "We're going to stay up just a little longer. I do hope you all have a good night's rest. We have a busy next few days ahead of us."

Marika nodded, and with a small smile she vanished with Kisame behind her.

* * *

Morning came around much sooner than Sakura had hoped it would, no thanks to Marika awaking her. She felt drained, even though she knew she had no reason to. Nevertheless, Marika was right, she did indeed have to go see Shisui, and they needed to start now if they wanted to make it a fast journey. And so as she got showered and ready, Marika caught her up on the events of last night, particularly of what Tsunade had informed Hiroto and Shisui's response stating that he would be awaiting her visit later on today. And so with this in mind, the two of them retreated to the dining room, where Marika had informed them that breakfast would soon be served.

It was odd, to say the least, to see how full the breakfast table seemed to be on this particular morning, and even more peculiar to see Itachi and Kisame sitting there, as memories from last night flooded her mind.

"What's going on today, Sakura-hime?" Hiroto seemed to be back to his cheery self, of which Sakura was glad seeing as she needed some sense of normalcy back, walking past her and ruffling her hair lovingly.

"Tsunde-shishou will more than likely not be ready for us today." Sakura stated. "And I'd like to meet up with an informant today with Itachi, if you're okay with that." the last part of her statement was addressed to Itachi.

"You have an informant?" Itachi raised an eyebrow.

"Sort of." she gave a hesitant sort of smile. She hadn't had time to really think about it due to everything that went on just the previous day, but how _would_ Itachi react to seeing Shisui alive? Sasuke and Mikoto seemed to understand who it was that Sakura was referring to, as they both looked at each other, an unspoken language between the two, something which both Kisame and Itachi caught but did not comment on. Itachi couldn't help but wonder why it was that she wanted him of all people to accompany her, but he didn't question it. Frankly, he'd prefer her alongside him at any given opportunity.

"Hn."

And so that had been that, and breakfast was soon enough finished, and the two shinobi began preparing for their journey.

"Please do be careful, Sakura-chan." Marika muttered, embracing her younger sister goodbye. And as she released her she allowed herself to look at Itachi. "I know I don't need to tell you to watch over her." her smile was knowing, knowing of how far Itachi would go to protect her, and it unsettled him slightly to know that just about everybody knew this.

"Hn." he turned his eyes elsewhere. "I shall be waiting outside, Sakura." and so he dismissed himself.

* * *

Itachi hadn't questioned her on their destination; he supposed he would find out once they arrived, anyhow. But oddly enough, things weren't awkward between them, although she did seem somewhat jittery and nervous at first, something he believed to be because of the vents of the prior night, knowing Sakura.

And just as he had thought that, he suddenly heard Sakura speak, a stuttering mess he could remember from his past. "A-Arigatou... for l-last night, that is..."

Itachi blinked. "There's no reason to thank me, Sakura." he dismissed her thanks. "As I told you, you are no longer alone."

He could see Sakura pout from the corner of his eyes, but he chose not to question it.

But how could she not pout? How could he say such things, things that would give her butterflies and fill her heart with hope, and he be so nonchalant all the while? It wasn't fair. "A-Ahh..."

"How far are we traveling?" he suddenly spoke, changing the subject.

"About two hundred kilometers northwest of here." Sakura spoke.

**(A/N: About 125 miles)**

Itachi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at this. "Your informant is not in the Land of Fire?" Taking into consideration their breaks to eat and rest, this journey would easily take them about seven hours -no wonder Sakura had insisted on leaving so early.

"Iee..." Sakura shook her head slowly. "He's in an isolated little farming village smack between the borders of three different lands; that way there's no real political influence in the town. Above all else, there's no shinobi movement due to its remote location."

"So he doesn't want to be found, then." Itachi assumed.

"Hai.." Sakura nodded. "His location was chosen specifically to remain unnoticed."

"And what is so special about this informant?" Itachi asked. Frankly, how could she even be so sure that the informant was giving her accurate information? That he wasn't somehow connected to Akatsuki?

"I understand your concerns." Sakura gave a nod. "But I've been in contact with him for a while now. I can assure you we can trust him."

"Ahh..." Itachi said nothing further; there was nothing more to say on the matter, after all.

* * *

They day went by slowly, and as they began to leave Konoha territory, Sakura began to use more and more obscure pathways, a means of making sure they wouldn't cross any shinobi, friendly and enemy alike. "We'll be approaching the village soon. They're not accustomed to seeing shinobi in their village so we should act as least threatening as possible." Sakura stated.

"Hn." And so, by the outskirts, they stopped and took this time to remove any sort of weapons from their visible attire, although Itachi never typically carried any to begin with.

The town was isolated, nothing but quaint little homes; no hotels, no casinos, nothing that would indicate a thriving business as an informant, that's for sure. So how did this man earn his living? Something told him his contract with Sakura was exclusive; if it weren't, there was no way Sakura would trust him, or go so far out of her way to see him, especially so quickly after having discovered Madara's identity. Decidedly concerned, he decided to voice out his troubles. "How does your informant maintain his living through such a lifestyle?" Furthermore, how was he even able to gather information from such a remote town, away from all sorts of shinobi affiliations and conflicts?

"Informant may not be the right word for him, Itachi. He maintains his lifestyle through funds which I supply him on a monthly basis, in the form of Marika. She pays him a visit once a month to check on his health and supply him with earnings to maintain him until the next check up date." Sakura sighed, Shisui's house now in eye sight. _'This is it,' _she told herself, her palms growing ever so sweaty.

"And how long has this been going on?" Itachi raised an eyebrow. Whoever he was, he clearly held a special interest to Sakura.

Sakura eyed Itachi for the briefest of seconds, not that he had noticed, too preoccupied with looking at his surroundings. "Since a month or so before the Uchiha Massacre."

"..." So it had been that long. Did this mean that said informant also know of Sakura's time traveling status?

"I believe all of your questions will be answered once you see him, Itachi." Sakura spoke honestly, just mere steps away from the home.

But this statement only helped to further confuse Itachi. Did this mean that Itachi knew this person from his past? He had no time to ponder this as he saw Sakura finally slow in front of a home, nothing out of the ordinary, plain and simple just like all the other ones around it. Sakura seemed nervous, although this could be said about Sakura since they began their journey, not that he had questioned it. Whatever it was making her angsty, he figured he would find out once they arrived at their destination. She seemed to poke and prod a potted plant by the window sill, until she pulled out a lone key, the likes of which he presumed would give them access to the house.

Without so much as a warning, she unlocked the door, although it seemed she was hesitant to open it.

_Would he be in there waiting for her? For them?_

_What would his reaction be in seeing his cousin?_

_What would Itachi's reaction be?_

It seemed she wouldn't have much time to ponder this, as she suddenly heard movement inside, saw the feet shuffling to the door and felt the doorknob currently in her hand already behind to turn. "Sakura, welcome back. It's been a whi-" But as he swung the door open he saw not just Sakura, but a different figure that was definitely neither Sakura nor Marika, the only two people he had really been in contact with other than Sasuke. But even though their resemblances were uncanny, this was definitely not Sasuke. He was taller, leaner, older and with a face expression of shock and bewilderment and confusion that could most definitely not come from a person that knew Shisui to be alive already.

No, this was his most beloved, deeply compassionate best friend, the one who had "killed" him and taken his eye with him.

* * *

**End of Chapter**

**Updated a little earlier than scheduled due to the many reviews I got for last chapter c: Keep it up guys!**

**So here it is =] The mysteries of the Haruno Clan Massacre finally revealed ^_^ Most of it, anyhow. Within the next two chapters I'm going to get more in depth with character development for the following:**

**Shisui**

**Itachi**

**Kikyou**

**Matsuro**

**HOPEFULLY, anyway. I'm kind of in the midst of rearranging some of the events in the plot to heighten the drama but I'm not sure yet :x we shall see ^_^**

**In case you didn't catch it, the ring Kisame delivered was purposely bloody, so as to make it seem like Itachi had discovered Madara's plot and had disposed of Kisame, a means of protecting him from any future encounters with Madara for the time being.**

**I was going to incorporate their meeting into this chapter, but it was getting too lengthy, so I decided to just leave it at a cliffy for now, sorry people xD**

**Tell me what you all thought about this? :0 The next chapter will incorporate more flashbacks, more than likely, but that is still to be determined.**

**Furthermore, I know I'm behind schedule on most of everything, but I've actually been spending a lot of time on plotting out the third installment to Sakura's New Future. I earnestly can't wait to finish this part up and get to that one. Whereas this was mostly action/drama, this installment will be mostly drama/romance, but I don't want to spoil too much ^_^. **

**Some of you guys are going to want to kill me for the loop I'm going to throw you guys in, but trust me, it'll all be worth it in the end ^_^**

**I was going to make this chapter a lot steamier but I decided we're not ready for that yet o.x muahaha :) that won't be for a way's down dx**

**Anyway, I'm just about done with my rant. Let me know what you all thought about this! With every passing chapter this is getting so exciting to write _**

**Comments? Questions? Critiques? Leave 'em all here! Any and all feedback is much appreciated!**


	16. Shisui

**Heyyoo! Here with the next chapter. I know I left you guys with a bit of a cliffie, I hope the wait wasn't too bad =] As you will see in this chapter, things will be unraveling quite quickly from now on ^_^ Hope you all enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters in any way, shape, or form.**

**Chapter 16: Shisui**

Shisui's eyes were wide, having not expected this sudden meeting, even as he could clearly see Sakura alongside Itachi, nervously playing with her index fingers in wait as the two Uchiha males stared at each other, indeed confirming one another's identity. But Shisui, having known Itachi to be alive, was the first to react, to overcome this overwhelming shock. "Itachi-" But he couldn't get anything else out, Itachi's eyes turning red and hard, and pushing Shisui into his own home, a hand gripping him by the collar, a reaction he wasn't entirely sure if he had expected or not.

But of course Itachi wouldn't believe this to be his elder cousin; he was dead. Hell, he had killed him with his own hands, so it was physically impossible for him to be staring at a ghost from his daunting past, and how dare this impostor disguise himself as his cousin? But his Sharingan orbs could not lie to him, even as he stared at Shisui's entire body, top to bottom and then back to the top, and there was no mistaking it, this was not some sort of henge, no genjutsu being played on either of them.

And then came the crashing truth, and he released his cousin's collar almost immediately and instead embraced him, perhaps stronger than he had embraced Sasuke, because at least he didn't have Sasuke's life hanging over his consciousness.

_Shisui was alive_

_How?_

He couldn't fathom understanding it right now, but he knew that Sakura was more than likely behind this too.

"It's so good to finally see you again, Itachi." he smiled, although both Sakura and Itachi could hear his voice crack, strong emotions stirring within his stomach. "I have been waiting so long..." he seemed out of breath, perhaps too focused on trying to not break down, and so he allowed himself some time to settle his breathing, before he attempted once more. "So long, to finally see our house under one. For you to return home."

If there was one thing clear to Itachi, it was that Shisui had never given up on him, despite the horrors now associated with his name, and it meant the world to him.

Sakura couldn't help but smile, despite feeling a bit out of place during their meeting, as she had felt when she had reintroduced Sasuke to Shisui. "I don't mean to interrupt, but we can continue this reunion once we're safely behind closed doors, lest we draw ourselves unwanted attention."

And Sakura was right, so Itachi and Shisui released their respective holds on each other, letting Sakura through the door so she could close it behind her.

Shisui led them to the small low table centered around his living room, where tea for two had already been placed. "You must be curious about how I ended up in this place." Shisui began. "Although I had intended for you to kill me and take my eyes, I had sensed a figure watching us. Not knowing whether they were a threat or not, I activated my Mangekyou and put you under a genjutsu." Shisui began.

"One so strong it made me believe I had killed you." Itachi stated, aware of the power behind Shisui's eye -the very reason why Danzo had attempted to take them both.

"Hai." Shisui gave a curt nod. "I led Sakura away from your body, so you would not wake and see me still alive. As we fought she informed me of her mission, and of the events of the future. She convinced me that my power may be needed in the future, if not to help against the war that Akatsuki was creating, then to help you realign yourself with Konoha in the future."

"My knowledge about the events leading up to the Uchiha Massacre prior to going to the past were hazy at best." Sakura stated honestly. "At the beginning, I was under the assumption that you killed Shisui simply to activate your Mangekyou; I had never imagined it had been planned by the both of you. But upon spying, I realized that Shisui did not deserve a Fate like that, and so I intervened. I placed him in an obscure location and gave him new eyes, and while I was gone Marika kept tabs on him to make sure he was doing fine."

"Ahh..." So that explained that, he supposed.

"Onto other matters, I am curious to know what finally led to your re-alliance so quickly after the attack on Mei during the Gala." Shisui began, although he had his suspicions, as he stared at both Sakura and Itachi, noticing the close proximity between the two.

"Sakura's involvement led to Akatsuki developing their plans at a much faster rate." Itachi stated honestly.

"Why?" Shisui raised an eyebrow. What sort of unbelievable power did Sakura hold that had caused Akatsuki's plans to develop in an alarmingly fast rate?

"We're not too sure on the specifics." Sakura stated honestly. "But we do have an idea..." And so she began her tale, the tale of a supposed prophecy and of her being the child it spoke about, and of Madara's identity and his influence over Kiri that led to the Haruno Clan Massacre, and everything else there was to know, and all the while Shisui sat there in rapt silence, taking it all in.

"He definitely knows more than he leads on, that's for sure." Shisui muttered, clearly troubled by the news. "I don't know what he could possibly have known to lead him to take such actions though. Despite a prophesized child, Madara had to know there must be some truth behind it to act so brashly." Shisui stated. Not that he knew anything about Madara, but from what he had heard, it was that Madara was highly competent, and capable of holding his own against Hahsirama. How could power as immense as his fear a child? "It's easy enough to understand why he disposed of the Uchiha Clan, due to the Sharingan's ability to control the Tailed Beasts with enough training, but the Haruno have no such power to wield. So what about you made him so afraid to have you around?" Shisui thought out loud.

But at Shisui's comment, a sudden thought appeared in Sakura's mind, one that had her furl her eyebrows in confusion.

"But that doesn't make sense. The only one capable of activating and wielding the Mangekyou at the time of the massacre was you Itachi, so why are you still here? The Mangekyou is hard enough to acquire as it is. Other than you two standing before me, there was really no one who could stand in his way, other than Sasuke-kun years later." But if that had been the case, then wouldn't Madara have made sure that Sasuke was disposed of at a later date?

"He needs me; needed me, I should say." Itachi stated in response to Sakura's question. "I was his only means of getting to Sasuke -of course, under the circumstances of him not knowing about the extensive truth of the Uchiha Massacre."

"But why did he want Sasuke-kun?" Sakura questioned.

At this, Itachi seemed to let out a microscopic sigh. "Otou-san, too preoccupied with my advancement, had failed to keep watch of Sasuke's own developments. Given the time and opportunity, his strengths will exceed my own by far. To the point where it may endanger Madara's plans." Itachi stated calmly.

"It's obvious you would want strength like this aligned with you." Shisui nodded in agreement. "Furthermore, Sasuke would be a back up pawn. Someone easily influenced by him, given his reputation, blinded by hate and rage at Konoha for making Itachi a martyr who died protecting their lies. He would be Madara's fail safe, in case he was in desperate need of another pair of Mangekyou eyes."

"Which he would have obtained through killing you..." Sakura nodded in understanding, addressing Itachi. "At least his plans are ruined in this aspect." Sakura attempted to be optimistic, despite the severity of the situation at hand. How long would it be now before they all clashed? Before another Shinobi World War began?

"It doesn't matter. Madara always has back up plans, at least he must have to still be alive today -having Sasuke might have been ideal or preferred, but I'm sure it wasn't a requirement." Shisui stated seriously. "The only way to get ahead is for us to know what he knows. However it is that he got his information, it's giving him an edge in this war. We can't fight a war when we don't know what the true aims are. Is there nothing you can provide us with Itachi?" If anyone had information on Madara, it would be Itachi, having worked closely alongside him for years now, after all.

Two pairs of eyes turned to Itachi as silence filled the room, but all he could offer them was a shake of his head. "Madara knew me to be a double-edged sword. He would have been a fool to tell me the true aims of his plans." Madara wasn't stupid -and neither was Itachi. In fact, if anyone was smarter between the two, it was Itachi. Madara just had the upper hand in experience -how long had he been alive now (don't get Itachi started on how he had accomplished this anyway) dictated how much information he had on the past. And if you asked Itachi, that's where the answers lay. And so, Itachi voiced his opinion.

"I believe that the answers lie in the past."

And now it was Sakura's turn to be stared at, as the remaining two occupants in the room stared at her expectantly, making her blink at them curiously. "I travel to the past once and suddenly you guys expect me to know Madara's plans?" her eyes narrowed.

"You're the closest thing we have that may connect us to Madara, Sakura. You traveled to the past once before. Why can't you do it again, just during Madara's timeline?" Shisui's question was genuine -and it would be a good idea too, had it not taken all of Matsuro's strength just to send her to the past the first time around.

"As great an idea as that may sound, it's physically impossible to do this a second time." Sakura sighed.

"Why?" Shisui raised an eyebrow, wondering if perhaps this technique had a one-use only sort of circumstance (a rarity on its own), or if they had to wait for specific circumstances for the jutsu to be activated.

"The power which I draw from to activate this jutsu is essentially the life energy of the Haruno Clan." Sakura stated frankly. "When I initially cast the jutsu the first time, I was drawing on the energy left behind by my deceased kinsmen. That cannot be used again -it's gone forever. Without them, this burden falls upon the remaining living members of the clan -not nearly enough to suffice without killing us."

Shisui remained quiet. It would take decade upon decade, and not to mention the reproduction of the Harunos', to allow such a feat, he supposed, and they certainly could not wait that long. "Our only link is to the past. But there's no one alive from Madara's era to shine some light on this ordeal." He sighed, irritated at the sudden development.

And at Shisui's statement, Sakura suddenly got an idea, a sudden glint in her eye that neither Shisui nor Itachi missed. "Maybe not... but I've got the next best thing..." she decided with glee. Kikyou was not an option, for she was still locked somewhere within her subconscious. But there was somebody else, someone who had been alive from start to finish, through everything. _'Matsuro-sama...' _Yes, this would be the best course of action. "I'll have to return home for this."

Shisui couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. How could the answers possibly lie in Konoha? "Who is there to shine a light on this ordeal?" he questioned genuinely.

"Not who, but what." Sakura remarked. "But I will not get into specifics, Shisui. I am privy to such matters; there are certain things I cannot share with others, I apologize." she chuckled. "And regardless, this is a bit of a stretch, but the only thing we have to go off of for now." She just had to pray that Matsuro would come through for her.

Itachi surmised this had to do with the very same topic he had brought up during their first encounter in this timeline. Whatever it was, this was not about trust any longer -it seemed like a code of conduct she could not break, and it made him feel slightly better about his situation to know that this wasn't entirely about him.

"Very well. I expect you to keep me updated as soon as you obtain your answers, then." Shisui stated. "By the way," he began in a sort of absentminded fashion, "how is Marika doing? I haven't spoken to her since your fight with Orochimaru."

Sakura could have snorted, knowing this to have been but a week and a half earlier. "She's doing well." she stated, noticing how Shisui seemed happy to hear the news. "Genma actually asked her out a few days ago." but as said statement Shisui seemed to turn a little tense, an action neither Sakura nor Itachi missed, although Sakura had to be honest -this had been a lie. "But not to worry Shisui, she turned him down." she stated this as she stood up, stretching.

"Worry? Why would I worry? Marika's not getting any younger." he dismissed Sakura's statement.

"Hai, hai, and neither are you Shisui." she joked. "Anyhow, I believe a small lunch of sorts is due before we leave. I'll go prepare something while you two catch up. I'm sure it's long over-due." Sakura changed the subject quickly, not wanting to get into this with Shisui. Besides, their time was limited, and Sakura and Itachi had to return to Konoha at once.

"I have left-overs in the fridge." Shisui stated, but Sakura dismissed him, walking towards the door.

"It won't be nearly enough for three people. I'll be back shortly, the market isn't too far from here." And so Sakura left, not even waiting for a response from either of them, lest they offer to accompany her (After all, the last time she left Shisui's house, she ended up being kidnapped), although she had noticed Itachi attempt to move, to try and stop her from leaving.

* * *

It seemed nostalgic -a dream, almost, to be with his younger cousin, admiring the scenery outside in complete silence, as they had often done when they were thirteen and sixteen respectively; nearly twelve years had gone by, and things had not changed, even the slightest. It had been a long time before either of them spoke, both of them just happy to be in each other's presence once more.

"I never thought I'd live to see this day." Shisui was honest, glancing at his younger companion. "When Sakura had approached me with her secret, I had no idea she would have sparked a chain of events that gave us both another opportunity at life." he chuckled. Fate truly was a fickle thing, he was sure. "But I'm glad she did. Maybe things are better this way."

"Have you been alone all this time?" Itachi asked, somewhat changing the subject.

"For the most part, yes. Sakura and I both decided that the least amount of contact that I had with the outside world, the better. No reason to bring in unwanted attention." As he stated this, he noticed Itachi turn slightly, a quick glance at the door, almost as if he expected Sakura to come walking in -of which she did just a few seconds later, and it sort of amused Shisui. _'He's keeping tabs on her chakra signature.' _he could almost laugh. Then again, he supposed this paranoia was warranted, given that the last time she had left his home, she had gotten kidnapped by Orochimaru. Sakura made not one comment or indication of her return, instead walking into Shisui's kitchen with whatever it was that she had bought, getting right down to preparing lunch.

"You haven't changed a bit, Itachi." Shisui couldn't help but chuckle, not missing the way that Itachi seemed to glance at Sakura inconspicuously, his back now slightly turned to be able to see her in case he needed to.

"Neither have you." Itachi commented, noticing that Shisui was as observant as ever.

Shisui couldn't help but smile at this, changing the subject to follow a more serious thought. "This war is coming to a close soon. Have you decided on what your plans are after this ordeal? Given that we're all still alive by the end." he added lightly, some sort of humor in his voice. "Surely returning to Konoha isn't out of the question. The kunoichi has done enough to clear your name."

"What are yours?" Itachi adverted the subject. He couldn't think about such things when there was still a high risk of him dying in the process, even if these thoughts had flickered in and out of his mind ever since he had returned to Konoha just two days prior.

"Honestly?" Shisui raised an eyebrow. "I'm lonely, Itachi." Shisui was so frank, his statement declared sardonically. "I've spent the better part of my life holed up in this place with Sakura's older sister as my only form of contact to the outside world. Eleven years, just wasting away and waiting for Sakura to return and set in motion the gears to end this war. But I'm done with all the fighting after this; we can leave that to the next generation." Shisui was truthful. "I just want what you and Sasuke probably want too. A happy ending for our clan. A nice girl by my side. To return to Konoha and fix the state of the Uchiha reputation. Maybe pop out a few Shisui juniors along the way." he joked, although Itachi could tell there was some serious statement in his joking undertone. "I'm sure your dream can't be far off, right?"

Itachi did not respond. At least not immediately. "That would be ideal." he nodded, knowing it to only be common sense to try and rebuild their clan in numbers. But between his crimes in Konoha and his involvement (and betrayal) in Akatsuki, he wouldn't be surprised if both parties in this war wanted him dead. Of which he was certain would happen anyway, and he would most definitely not be surprised if none of this ever happened. (Besides, Itachi juniors? Please, the mere thought was enough to unsettle his normally calm thoughts). Which is why it would not be fair to continue whatever it was he had with Sakura -to even imagine that Sakura could be that "nice girl", as Shisui had put it.

Shisui couldn't help but chuckle. "You're quite lucky, Itachi." he stated, although it earned him a raised eyebrow from Itachi. "You've already got something waiting for you. Someone." he clarified as he looked back into his house, seeing Sakura there.

"And you don't?" Itachi, once more, raised an eyebrow. After all, he had seen the way his cousin had lit up at the mention of Sakura's older sister, and his crestfallen expression immediately after hearing Genma's attempt to court her.

Shisui opened his mouth to speak, about to deny his statement (for Kami's sake he had been alone for eleven years, he had already stated this!), but he suddenly closed it shut as someone came to mind. "That's... an unlikely scenario." Shisui spoke truthfully. "Who knows what goes on in her daily life. She sees me once a month -I hardly constitute as the dating type."

"Do I?"

"..."

"..."

"Alright, smart ass." he teased.

Itachi couldn't help but smirk at this, but let it slide for now.

And so silence settled over them both for a long while, until Shisui once more decided to speak, stretching all the while.

"But I am serious, Itachi. About Sakura." He gave a small sigh, shoving his hands in his pockets. "She'd do anything for you, you know that, right?" He looked at his cousin expectantly, his eyes hazy and clouded over with all the confusing, contradicting emotions within him.

"The feeling is mutual, Shisui." he answered after a long moment's silence, a response that made Shisui naturally grin with happiness.

"I wish you good luck, Itachi." And so he turned, putting his hand on Itachi's shoulder, before adverting his gaze towards Sakura, currently in the kitchen. "So what are you making for us Sakura?" he shouted, walking in, leaving Itachi to muse over his own thoughts for another minute before he too, turned back around and returned inside the home.

"It's nothing fancy but it'll be enough." Sakura stated in response to Shisui, as she finished up their lunch. "Go wait by the table, I'll be done shortly." And so it had been, and ten minutes later Sakura placed three plates of food down and sat alongside Itachi and Shisui. "Have you guys had time to catch up?"

"For now." Shisui stated. "There will be more time for that after this war is over." Shisui guaranteed.

"Well, for now, let's just enjoy our lunch, and we'll have more time to catch up afterwards." Sakura stated with a smile. She wouldn't mind arriving a couple hours later if it meant giving Itachi some proper time to catch up to Shisui. He needed it, after all.

Lunch had been eaten at a rather leisure pace, the conversation being carried primarily by Shisui and Sakura, although she was glad to find that Itachi was participating in conversation, an action that spoke volumes on behalf of Itachi's normally quiet self. Once it had been completed, Sakura had decided to wash the dishes, and then told them she would be outside meditating, a means of giving them some privacy and allowing them to once more return to their catching up, of sorts. And although she swore she was mediating, she couldn't help but peek an eye every once in a while to stare at the two elder Uchihas', both of them happy (or what could constitute as "happy" to Itachi's relatively impassive face) and relaxed. It was funny, because she had never been able to pin-point emotions within Itachi other than in his eyes -that was it for him, the window to his soul, and when he dropped his stone wall, it spoke of pain and sorrow in such depths she thought it impossible she could see so much in two simple eyes. But she did, she always could, and now was no different, she could tell from a way's away.

But eventually meditating got boring, and so she settled for lounging around the house, which, lo and behold, eventually resulted in her falling asleep, something both male shinobi had expected to occur.

"You can take her to my room, if you'd like. I have a spare futon for her to rest on." Shisui stated.

"Hn..." Truth be told, they should probably leave, lest it get too late, but part of him didn't want to leave, at least not just yet, and on top of that, he wasn't sure if he should even wake Sakura up. The journey to Shisui had been unusually long, and even with the few stops they had taken, the trip was bound to be draining for anyone not used to traveling long distances like he was. Furthermore, had she even slept well the night before? One could never be so sure, what with the news that had been delivered to her. Perhaps this nap was well-needed.

* * *

Sakura felt exhausted -don't ask her why. She had not even felt herself falling asleep, but the next thing she knew, she was awakening inside what she knew to be Shisui's bedroom, on a spare futon she had bought for him in case Marika ever needed to stay over.

_'What time is it?' _Her vision was still hazy, as she got up and tried to rub away her tired-ness. Through the small window she could tell the sun was already setting, and it was surprising that she had slept for so long. More importantly, where were Itachi and Shisui?

She stood up and stretched slowly, releasing her chakra to search for their own, but found she conveniently could not, meaning that they were either nowhere near her general vicinity, or that their chakra was hidden, of which she knew to be the latter. She knew this could only mean that they were off sparring somewhere, something that didn't at all surprise her, given the fact that Shisui never sparred with anyone nowadays, and the last time he probably had was with Sasuke but a month or so ago.

And so, with that thought in mind, she walked towards the kitchen and prepared herself something to drink and some of the left overs for lunch, waiting for the two Uchiha to return, of which she knew would be soon. By now, they had probably already sensed her chakra signature searching for theirs, and knew that she was waiting for them to return.

Five minutes later she was greeted by the sight of them, Itachi relatively unharmed (and even unscathed), and Shisui with his fair share of bruises and scratches. And did Sakura mentioned he seemed to be pouting? "I take it you lost." Sakura laughed.

"I'm rusty." Shisui exclaimed indignantly.

"Of course you are." Sakura rolled her eyes playfully. "Want me to heal those for you?" she mused.

"Nah, they're just scratches." It seemed like Shisui was trying to play it cool, but Sakura knew better; if he had only scratches, it was because Itachi made sure of it. "Anyway, you guys should probably get going. By the looks of it, I would say it's going to rain tonight." Shisui stated, looking outside. And, just as he had said, the clouds were beginning to gather, and a chilly wind was beginning to pick up.

Sakura frowned. Just her luck. "We'll have to speed up to make up for lost time." But even though she said this, she knew no amount of speeding up would leave them at their destination anywhere close to the time she had hoped.

"Should I alert Marika to expect you late?" Shisui offered.

"It's alright, I'll do it myself." Sakura brushed Shisui's comment off, although, as soon as she began writing her letter, she realized that this had perhaps been Shisui wishing to have a reason to talk to her. _'Oh well.' _Sakura snickered internally.

"Tell her I say hello!" Shisui stated.

"Hai, hai." Sakura rolled her eyes. Could they be any more obvious about their interest in each other?

And so she grabbed a scroll and began writing a short letter, notifying Marika that she and Itachi had gotten held up at Shisui's, and would be arriving later than expected. Marika's response had been very prompt, as it normally was when it came to messages between her and the flower she had left at Shisui's.

_I suspected you'd be home late. Don't worry about getting back immediately. Spend the night at a hotel if needed._

_-Marika_

_P.S. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone ;)_

_P.P.S. Say hi to Shisui for me. Is he doing well?_

Sakura blushed at the slight innuendo behind Marika's words, and _why did winky faces always make everything look so suggestive to begin with?!._

"What did Marika say? Did she mention me at all?" And so he tried to peer over Sakura's shoulder to peer at the contents in the letter, but Sakura crumpled it up before he got the chance to, lest he read over Marika's sly innuendo and mention anything to Itachi (if there was anything she had learned about Shisui, it was that given the opportunity, he'd act as perversely as possible, after all).

"Nothing much." Sakura shrugged. "She did ask how you were doing though. Perhaps you'd like to send her a letter yourself?" Sakura suggested, trying not to snort at Marika's comment. She would get there tonight, no questions asked, or at dusk if she had to, but she would most definitely, you mark her words, not stay at a hotel with Itachi Uchiha.

Shisui seemed to ponder this, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Well, it'd only be proper to respond."

"Uh-huh." Sakura, yet again, rolled her eyes. "Anyway, Itachi, are you ready to get going?" she directed her gaze at Itachi, but nearly as soon as she had, she directed them elsewhere, because for some reason staring at him while he was staring straight back at her seemed to send her butterflies in the pit of her stomach, and she didn't need to go on a blushing rampage in front of Shisui.

"Hn."

And so upon bidding each other goodbye and promising to keep Shisui updated about everything within the next few days, they decided to take their leave, settling for a quiet walk to the outside of the village, and then speedily taking off from thereon.

* * *

They had been running for hours, and were now securely within Fire Nation territory, but as Shisui had predicted, the tumultuous clouds began twisting and darkening in a manner which could only end in rain, which only helped to increase the darkness surrounding the two shinobi.

"Perhaps we should find shelter from the rain." Itachi suggested, although truth be told, finding some sort of cave would be near impossible in this darkness and thick forestry on top of it.

"If we don't stop we can make it back home before day break." Sakura shook her head. "Stopping leaves us vulnerable." She frowned.

"And travelling all night long will as well." Itachi reasoned. "We will be tired and unprepared. I am wanted by all shinobi nations, and Madara is vying to kill you as well. Should we leave ourselves in a weakened state if we encounter any enemies?" Itachi questioned. Nighttime was dangerous, especially in the shinobi industry, because if there were people lurking about at night, this generally meant they were up to no good.

Before Sakura could even respond, suddenly a loud cackle rippled through the sky, a boom so loud it reverberated for miles and miles on end, and with this flash of light, finally the downpour began, one which Sakura couldn't help but frown at. She had not prepared for weather such as this, and she had nothing in her scroll of belongings to help her against it.

"Alright, maybe you're right. The nearest town won't be anywhere near us though. I'd estimate at least ten kilometers."

Itachi did not respond, at least not immediately, as he reached into one of the holsters at his legs and pulled out a scroll. Within a moment's notice, a cloak appeared, one not unlike the Akatsuki cloak he always wore before just a couple days ago. He inverted it, hiding the ominous red clouds and what it symbolized, and then proceeded to drape it over Sakura's shoulders. "Then we should hurry."

Sakura couldn't help the blush that framed her features at his actions, even as she stuttered out "W-What about y-you? Y-You'll get sick..."

"My affinity to fire is enough resistance." Itachi dismissed her concerns. "We should hurry before the rain picks up."

"A-Ahh..." And so Sakura gave a nod, and they continued on their way, rather fervently, hurrying off to the closest town with a hotel.

* * *

As luck would have it, they were not the only travelers seeking refuge from the rain, especially not in in the closest town they had found themselves at. Out of the four hotels, only one had any rooms vacant.

"Unfortunately, the most I can offer you is one room with two beds. All the other rooms have been occupied for the night." the female attendant seemed kind enough, although Sakura wasn't entirely sure if that was her predisposition, or if she just happened to fancy Itachi in his soaked attire, his shirt clinging on to his skin as if it were in its second nature to do so.

She turned to Itachi then, a frown on her face, although she wasn't aware if this was because they could not find two separate rooms, or because the attendant was giving Itachi the googly eyes. "Should we look elsewhere, then? The next town over shouldn't be that much further."

Itachi, after pausing momentarily, shook his head. "The chances of us finding vacant rooms to meet our standards diminish the later we wait. This room will have to do, unless you are not comfortable with it, Sakura."

"..." It wasn't that she wasn't comfortable with it -well, maybe a little bit, although it had nothing to do with him and entirely to do with her. "A-Alright." And so she turned to the woman, as she rummaged her coin purse. "We'll take the room, onegai."

And so it had been, and five minutes later Sakura and Itachi were entering their hotel room, simplistic in style and roomy enough to not feel claustrophobic.

"You know..." Sakura began slowly, a sort of forced chuckle escaping her lips. "This'll be the first time sharing a room in over ten years... We were both thirteen the last time... well, sort of." Sakura laughed once more, Itachi blinking curiously at her, although he did not comment on it.

"Ahh..." And so he turned away from her, approaching the window to their room that faced the main street of the town. "You were nowhere near as nervous then as you seem to be now." he muttered, almost in a contemplative fashion.

Sakura winced, not that Itachi could see it. Truth be told, she had just now come to the realization that she was alone in a sketchy hotel room with a full-fledged man, the first of its kind other than the likes of Hiroto or the members of her Team 7, and the thought was down-right unnerving, especially because, out of all the males it could possibly be, it was Itachi, the very same man who lit her heart on fire. "G-Gomen, I-" But she didn't exactly know what to say, not that it mattered, seeing as Itachi briskly turned around, making her cut herself off.

"You have nothing to worry about, Sakura."

"I'm not worried about anything, Itachi." she frowned. "I've just... never really shared a hotel room with a man outside of my team, is all." Sakura shrugged, blushing as she confessed.

Itachi blinked. He didn't know why, but hearing those words relieved him. And although he was questioning her for her hesitancy and nervous-ness, he knew exactly why she was acting the way she was acting. For Kami's sake, anyone with a brain and a pair of eyes could be able to sense the chemistry between the two, and not to mention the tension just dying to explode between them. And they were adults, two full-fledged adults and he would be blatantly lying if he said he wasn't attracted to her, and clearly she felt the same.

"But anyway," Sakura stated, not giving Itachi any room to come up with a response. "I believe we passed a little food stand on our way here. Seeing as we skipped dinner, I think a snack is long over-due. I'll go see if they're still open and buy us a snack." she suggested.

Itachi nodded, not one to deny Sakura. "I'll be in the shower, then." Truth be told, he was still soaked, from head to toe for that matter (For Kami's sake he had been running in the rain for nearly thirty minutes without any form of shielding himself from the rain), and if he didn't do something about it, fire affinity or not, he would end up with a cold.

"Hai." Sakura nodded. "I shall see you in a bit, then." And so Sakura took the key, which had been placed on the sole table of the room, and then vanished behind the door, as Itachi did the same behind the bathroom door, but not before watching Sakura's retreating figure disappear.

* * *

Even as Sakura ran down the street, clutching the Akatsuki cloak closely to her figure, she couldn't help the roaring blush on her face. _'Stupid Sakura. You're absolutely stupid.' _she reprimanded herself for acting so dumb around Itachi. She was an adult, for Kami's sake, heir to her clan, and here she was blushing as if she were reverting back to her Sasuke fangirling days. _'Will this reaction to him every stop?' _she couldn't help but wonder, even as she brushed aside the cloth lining the roof of the little stand and stepped right in, noticing that it was nearly completely empty.

She looked at the menu, her eye stopping to read over its contents, and so she placed her order, her hands playing with the hem of the cloak, her face sinking in to the collar. _'It smells like him...' _How long had it been now, where she had been close enough to smell him? It was still surreal to think that he was back in Konoha -_back in her life, hopefully permanently, _because she swore she couldn't take him leaving once more after finally getting him back. But just this thought made her eyebrows furrow. _'Getting him back? He was never mine to begin with...' _They had never had the time to create anything, between their lies and their duties to their village and clans respectively. What even were they? Were they something? She could never tell.

With a sigh, she decided to let her thoughts drop, just in time to see her order being placed in front of her in a small carry out bag. And so she paid, and with a slight bow and a quick "Arigatou," she was out the door and once more running back to their hotel room.

She had probably been out no more than fifteen minutes, so she was not at all surprised to enter the hotel room to still see the door to the bathroom closed and the light visible through the crack at the bottom. "Itachi, I'm back." she stated, loud enough for him to hear.

But just as she finished saying this, suddenly the light turned off and he opened the door, emerging clad in his typical slacks and a fishnet shirt, one which clung to him like second skin. And even though she tried her best not to look, she could see his taut muscles underneath, another rude reminder that this was definitely not the thirteen year old boy she had shared a hotel room with eleven years ago. This was a very real, very mature, very _attractive_ man who would be sleeping just three feet from her, and with that thought, she forced herself to avert her eyes, focusing instead on placing the small bag on the table, and taking out its contents. "I'm surprised they were still open so late." Sakura stated, trying to begin conversation that didn't have to do with his practically half-naked self. And so she placed the two cups of hot tea on the table, and then withdrew the two small containers and opened them, revealing six anko dumplings in one, and three onigiri in the other. "I figured you might want to have some dumplings as well, so I ordered a couple extra for you." And so she sat down, waiting for Itachi to do the same on the chair adjacent her own, but he stood before her, a sort of shocked expression on his face (or his eyes, anyhow).

"Is something the matter?" she raised an eyebrow in question. "Did I perhaps get the wrong tea? I could have sworn this was your favorite snack." She swore jasmine-infused green tea had been his favorite to have alongside his onigiri, but then again, it had been so long she could be wrong, despite how confident she had felt originally.

There was a pause. "Iee." he denied. "I simply had not expected you to remember them." After eleven years, she remembered such trivial things such as his favorite food, accompanied by his favorite tea -how could he not be shocked? What else could she possibly remember?

"Why do you seem so shocked, Itachi?" she laughed slightly. "I still remember, you know. All the silly little things like your favorite foods, or even your favorite color. Is that weird?" she scratched the back of her head in embarrassment.

"If it were, then that would make us both." Decidedly, he sat down in front of his food. "Arigatou, Sakura." Deep down inside, he wasn't entirely sure if he was thanking her for the food, or thanking her for remembering so much about him, an act which proved she really did care.

Sakura couldn't help but smile at how earnestly Itachi responded, but diverted her gaze to her food, where they ate in partial silence, of course with the exception of offering to share their portion of the food. After doing some trading and finishing up their food relatively quickly, Sakura excused herself to the bathroom, also in need of a shower before laying down to rest.

And even here, in the solitude and isolation of the bathroom, she couldn't help the heated blush in her face, as the warm water cascaded down her body. But she could not help this blush, she swore. In knowing that the only thing that was separating Itachi from her naked body was a small wooden door with a lock on it, how was she supposed to react? A door didn't really matter for shinobi anyway. He could break it down, burn it down, teleport inside, and what have you. When it came down to it, she was as defenseless as she could ever be, exhausted and stark naked, and Itachi was just on the other side, laying on his bed, but three meters from her current location, and the thought was enough to send her heart racing. Was he thinking of her? She had tried her best to not allow thoughts of Itachi in the shower just feet from her penetrate her mind, and as such she had left to clear her thoughts, but he was sitting right there! And if he were thinking of her, what kind of thoughts were they? Just the more question could have given Sakura a nose bleed.

Attempting to not let these thoughts get to her, she quickly finished her shower, wiping away the fog that had latched itself to the mirror. She stared at her body, scantily clad in a towel, and, despite her attempts not to, couldn't help but blush yet again. This would be her first night alone with Itachi -not that she was afraid that anything would happen, because she knew it wouldn't because Itachi was first and foremost a gentleman, but the setting was simply too surreal. Would this be the first of many occasions in which they would travel together? _Alone?_ Would they do missions together once he was reintegrated into Konoha? The magnitude of this situation showed just how far they had both come since the day of the massacre, and part of it excited Sakura, while the other part felt uncertain of what was to come from now on.

Alas, such thoughts never did her any good, and so Sakura settled for changing into her pajamas, emerging from the bathroom dressed in loose sweat pants she had acquired from Hiroto when he had outgrown them years ago, and a shirt obnoxious in color that could only belong to Naruto. Itachi noticed this, but made not a comment, not that he could accurately decipher what it was he was feeling, nor why, pray tell, he was feeling anything to begin with. And don't even get him started on how badly he wanted to castrate himself just by the mere thought of _'What would Sakura look like wearing my clothes?'._

Subsequently, he said not a word, as his inner musings castrated him for such a juvenile thought, Sakura none the wiser, for his expression revealed nothing of what he was truly thinking. "Is it alright if I turn off the lights now, Itachi?" she asked.

"Hn." he gave a curt nod. "We should leave at the break of dawn, if possible."

"Hai." Sakura acknowledged. "The faster we get there, the better." she agreed. There was much to do in Konoha, in particular speaking to Tsunade about what they had uncovered thus far, as well as speaking to Matsuro of what Madara's true aims may possibly be. And so, with that comment, Sakura flickered off the light and hopped into bed, the closest one to the window, her body angled towards the ceiling. Yet, she could not fall asleep, somewhat squirming under the weight of her own thoughts for several minutes, until she finally turned in order to face Itachi. "Oyasuminasai, Itachi..." It was a low utterance on her behalf, on she hadn't expected a reply to, but felt she needed to say nonetheless. Because, and don't ask her why, as she stared at Itachi's backside, she couldn't help but feel he was so far away, despite her previous fear that they were perhaps too close. She felt slightly disconnected, and that was never a feeling she liked to feel in regards to the elder Uchiha male before her.

Nevertheless, it seemed like he had heard her, and as such he turned around, only to come face to face (sort of) with Sakura's own gaze, her face half hidden behind her blankets in an effort, as he would assume it, to hide the blush that was more than likely spreading across her cheeks. "Good night, Sakura." he affirmed, but there was some sort of tension in the air, as if both had things left unsaid between them, and so for the longest time, they just stared at each other from opposite ends of the room.

But how could Itachi not stare at her? In the matter of months that she had been in his life during his teenage years, she had managed to alter things so much he couldn't even fathom it. And there she was, just a few feet away from him, none the wiser of how it was that she made him feel, not that he would be able to properly articulate his emotions to her, even if he wanted to. But even this led to the strongest desire to hold her once more in his arms, an act that he had done for her the previous night, but by no means did this mean he hadn't indulged in her touch all the while consoling her, and it was almost intoxicating to hold her so close, he swore. And with all of these thoughts racing through his mind, all he could do was stare at her, and she him, before Sakura gave a small, meek smile and decidedly closed her eyes, lest this staring contest leads to her obtaining a nose bleed.

"I'll see you in the morning." And that, coupled with a loud, tired yawn, indicated to Itachi that she would be out like a light soon enough (she always was quick to fall asleep when decidedly tired).

"Hn." But even though she said this, it took Itachi a much longer time to close his eyes as well, noticing the way that the moonlight peering through the curtain-less window illuminated over Sakura's covered up figure, her hair a haphazard mess, sprawling out of her head and clinging to her face and neck in a manner that Itachi couldn't help but think breath-taking.

Did she always appear so innocent and down-right serene when she slept?

* * *

It had taken Itachi just about half of the night to finally set his mind at ease and allow himself to sleep, although even in this he found his thoughts completely taken by Sakura. But he could hardly be to blame for this; he had spent the last eleven years of his life in a mostly male-oriented environment, and had never even dreamed of indulging in some sort of intimate acts with a woman. And even though the logical part of his brain told him there was nothing remotely "intimate" about the two of them sharing a hotel room, because they were clearly on opposite ends of the room, in different beds, even this was a luxury he never dreamed of having, especially not with Sakura of all people.

That being said, he hardly got much sleep, although this fact went unbeknownst to Sakura, who slept like a rock despite her previous hesitancy.

She was awoken by the sensation of movement in the room, of which she knew to be Itachi's, but she remained in her bed for a while longer, noticing that the sun had barely risen. She could hear his footsteps, first in the bathroom, before he seemingly walked out of their room and disappeared altogether for the next fifteen minutes, giving Sakura just enough time to doze off once more. She was woken up for a second time when Itachi placed a hand on her shoulder, gently nudging her awake. "We should get going soon, Sakura. I brought us some breakfast."

And just as he had promised, Sakura could smell the scent of tea, an aroma pleasant enough to pull her out of her bed as she sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "Arigatou." she yawned out, trying her best to make her normally un-tamable bed head presentable. He offered no response, even as Sakura got out of bed, and, decidedly cold, pulled the blankets along with her as she sat herself down at the small round table.

Although amused, Itachi did not comment, following the trail of blankets into his own seat. The rain, which had fallen for most of the night (which Itachi could attest to, having been awake), had left the morning particularly cold, although he knew it would warm up once the sun came up fully -there was never a day too cold in the Fire Country, after all.

It had been a simple, light breakfast, enough sustenance to give them energy to last until they reached Konoha, coupled with the same tea they had had yesterday (Itachi would be lying if he said he wasn't fond of it). After their small breakfast, Sakura retired to the bathroom, where she did her daily routine and emerged ten minutes later fully dressed in her typical attire, ready to begin their journey. If they kept up the same pace, they would arrive back in Konoha in time for a late breakfast at Mikoto's, enough incentive for them to get on the road.

* * *

By the time that they had reached Konoha territory, Itachi had long since changed into a henge akin to Hiroto's own appearance, just as a precaution. They entered the village through the front gates, and with a casual pace, walked back towards the Haruno Compound, noticing that the streets of Konoha were just barely beginning to crowd with the typical morning bustle of the town.

"Tadaima." Sakura shouted as she entered the front door, relatively hungry and in need of a break from their journey.

"Welcome home, Sakura-chan!" she could hear Mikoto's voice from the kitchen. "Come sit down, we're still waiting for Kisame to wake up for breakfast!"

Sakura had never been so happy to hear those words. Approaching the dining room, she saw Marika already sitting there, sipping a cup of tea, acting so innocent that Sakura just _knew_ she was going to say something. "Welcome back, Sakura-chan, Itachi-san. I take it you guys stayed over night at a hotel?" Although her words were innocent enough, the way she stared at Sakura was not, and it made her want to stick her tongue out childishly at her elder sister.

"Hai. We got rained out." Sakura tried not to grit through her teeth.

"Of course you did." Marika laughed, but said nothing more on the matter.

Just then, Mikoto came in from the kitchen, greeting them both with a hug as she placed food on the table. "How is Shisui doing? Well, I presume." she stated as she wiped off her hands on her apron.

"Hai, he's doing well." Sakura smiled.

"Good, good." Mikoto smiled. "I take it your trip went well, then. Has he been able to shine some light on the situation?"

"He gave us some ideas, but he's just as unaware as we are, although that's to be expected, given the isolated state he is in. I told him we'd keep him updated on the matter, though." And as she said this she turned to Marika. "I expect you to do so for me, Marika-neesan, seeing as he keeps asking about you anyway."

"W-Wait, h-he does?" she stuttered out, a blush appearing on her face immediately.

Sakura snorted at her reaction and turned to walk away, leaving Marika pouting. But it served her right anyway, Sakura internally thought. "If you will excuse me, I will be in my room meditating. Do not come and get me unless necessary."

Mikoto and Itachi turned to look at Sakura in confusion, but Marika seemed to know what Sakura was implying, and as such did not question her. "Come sit, Itachi-san." she offered, to take his mind off of Sakura's words. "And tell me how Shisui was doing, will you?"

* * *

Sakura was sitting on her bed, the scroll in which Matsuro was sealed in laying on her lap, her fingers tentatively playing with the edges. Would this truly be it? Would this truly reveal Madara's aims? Just as she had managed the courage to open the scroll, it seemed Matsuro would make that decision for her, the scroll glowing a bright blue as it levitated into the air just inches from her face.

It seemed that Matsuro wished to speak to her too, and with that thought in mind, she touched the scroll with her fingers, and this was enough to send her into a world not her own, an all white expanse she had become accustomed to over the months.

But Matsuro seemed to not be alone for once in this dimension, a man, taller in height who Sakura had come to know as the Sun God standing alongside Matsuro. "It is good to finally see you again, my child." Matsuro greeted with a smile. "I have been watching over you closely with Brother's help." as she stated this, she glanced upwards to said God, a small smile framing her features.

"Matsuro-sama. Taiyou-sama." Sakura greeted with a bow.

"I'm glad to see you are doing well, kunoichi. Your journey has not been an easy one." he acknowledged her with a smile.

"Arigatou." Sakura stated with a small smile. "I take it you know why I have sought your help then, Matsuro-sama?" Sakura asked tentatively. And, more importantly, did this mean that Matsuro had the answers that she was looking for?

Matsuro gave a small nod. "You must understand that I am sworn to secrecy to those I make contracts with, Sakura. As such, I cannot tell you his identity, or what it is he asked of me. Not I, anyway. Only through Kikyou's memories will you be able to find your answers. The path will be revealed to you in due time. But for now, I shall answer your question, my child." And with a nod and a wave of her hand, the world around them changed, and in the place of the nothing-ness that normally encompassed them seemed to be utter blackness.

"War has always afflicted the Shinobi Lands, even before they were known as such. An unfortunate effect of giving humans the ability to dictate their own actions." Taiyou began. "Our first attempt at stopping this madness came in the form of one Kaguya Otsutsuki. We gave her the power, our power, to stop this war, and with that the creation of the Ten-Tails occurred, a manifestation of chakra, and as such, an extension of our power." Taiyou began, as scenes flashed before Sakura, a beautiful, priestess-like woman with long silver hair and two rabbit-like ears. "Unfortunately, the power we have, if given to the wrong person, will eventually corrupt them, as was the case with Kaguya. Only those with direct lineage to the Gods have the ability to wield our power, but only those strong of heart, body, and mind can do so without losing themselves in it."

"As such, a different plan was hatched." Matsuro began. "Within Kaguya, already corrupted, we could not prevent what she would become. But with new life comes new possibilities. Her sons, living manifestations of her lineage and our power combined, had the ability to stop her reign and seal the Ten-Tails within a strong mind, Hagoromo Otsutsuki. But all life must come to an end, and with a withering body comes the ability to corrupt oneself. Knowing this, Hagoromo made the decision of splitting the Ten-Tails, a way to protect humanity from it's terrible onslaught."

"And what would happen if Madara sought to reunite the Ten-Tails?" Sakura asked seriously, a foreboding feeling in her stomach, knowing that this must be Madara's true aims. Why else would he be collecting them, after all?

"He would be nothing short from Godly, Sakura." Matsuro stated seriously. "But you must understand that exalting oneself as a God is dangerous. Hagorama, being the purest form of both the Gods, a direct descendant of our power, and humans, was able to keep a balance. After so many generations, the same could not necessarily be said of Madara. The chance that he will become corrupted, and swallowed up by the Ten-Tail's power is too large to risk. And once that occurs, it will be fully unleashed into your world, destroying everything in its path to recollect all of the chakra in your world. Of which it'll be up to the the true heirs of the Three Great Clans to defeat them, not to mean that this will be an easy feat to accomplish. And that is only the best of outcomes." Matsuro warned.

"And of the worst?" Sakura stated grimly.

"The worst being that Madara is able to fully control and manipulate the Ten-Tails." Taiyou stated. "As we said, his aims are to exalt himself as a God, to rip a forced entry between your world and our dimension in order to take full control of your world. If he succeeds, what will occur is not only the destruction of your world, but ours as well. Such a shift in balance and power will throw everything out of order; it would create chaos so insurmountable, not even the Gods could fix it."

"The Tailed Beasts know that they are all one in the same, and had been warned that their unification, if occurring under the wrong circumstances, would lead to the end of the world as we know it. Strongly respecting of Hagoromo's wish to see humanity prosper, they wish to realize this dream as well. Unfortunately, with all of the corruption surrounding them, it is easy for them to also be corrupted by the negative emotions of the world, as they are in essence condensed forms of our power brought to life. As such, only direct descendants of us Kami's can bring peace to their beings; you, for starters, Sakura."

Sakura gave a grim nod. "How should I proceed?" she stated honestly. "I'm not strong enough to stop Madara. Quite frankly, I don't know if anyone here is."

But at this comment, neither Matsuro nor Taiyou could help but smile. "You and your teammates are stronger than you may first perceive, Sakura." Taiyou stated, approaching Sakura and putting a hand on her shoulder. "Have faith in your bloodline. The path will reveal itself to you in due time. We cannot answer this question, for it is an answer only you can come up with through your experiences, and most importantly, through your love, Sakura." And as he stated this, he returned alongside his Sister, and they both looked at each other.

"Worry not, my child. Everything will happen when it is meant to."

"What do you mean? W-"But before Sakura could protest on their lack of incite and their over all evasive nature, they were already disappearing, and with them the scenes of the Tailed Beasts, and of Kaguya and Hagoromo, and she was once more thrown into darkness before she abruptly sat up, now back in her bedroom, a sense of panic filling every fiber of her being.

_She had to speak to Tsunade._

_Now._

But perhaps more important than that, she had to warn someone caught way too deep in this mess, before it was too late.

_'Konan...'_

She stood up, walking with purpose and panic, making her way to the dining room. It seemed that her little journey had taken longer than she had thought it did, for when she returned it seemed that everyone was already at the dining table, eating their breakfast. They had attempted to wait for Sakura, but after some time decided that she would not mind if they started without her.

Yet, the panic in which she entered with had not gone unnoticed by anyone in the room, even Saki, who had been inconspicuously asking about the weird nin who seemed to look a lot like Sasuke-nii. "Sakura, what seems to be the matter?" Hiroto stated, not being able to help his tense body at the sight of how in distress Sakura seemed to be.

"I know what Madara's aims are." She didn't care that Saki was in the room and that this was extremely informal, but formalities would have to wait. Frankly, she didn't know how much time they had. Without so much as batting an eyelash, she directed her gaze towards Kisame and Itachi. "I need to get a hold of Konan. It's urgent." It seemed like breakfast would have to wait, and so Kisame and Itachi stood up immediately, ready to get down to business and see what it was that Sakura had discovered. But then Sakura directed her gaze towards Hiroto, and spoke once more. "Inform Tsunade that we need to meet. There is no longer any time for us to waste."

"Hai." And so he stood up to leave, his heart racing. _'What could Sakura possibly have stumbled on to make her act this frantically?'_

More importantly, what had Sakura just discovered that she needed to speak to Konan immediately? Something told him that Konan might be in grave danger, and the thought didn't bode well with him.

* * *

_His vision swirled all around him as he tried to get a sense of which way was up. His lungs were filling up with fluid, and all he could think of was 'And I still haven't even beaten him in battle. Will I be able to at this rate?'_

_Pffft. Pathetic. _

_His vision was growing dark and blurry, and even though he could see the light of the outside world and hear the voice of his long-time friend, he could not help his subconscious from beckoning him towards sleep. The ringing in his ears was low, lulling him to sleep with the blue of the water._

_But just as he was willing to admit defeat and give up, he could register the sound of a splash, and someone dragging him somewhere by the collar of his shirt._

_'Who was he?' Surely it wasn't his companion._

_The sunlight seemed much brighter than he ever remembered it to be, and even though he could feel the crisp air on his skin, he couldn't make his body inhale anything. But then a sharp pain erupted in his chest, one that made him lean upwards and spit up the fluid that had invaded his lungs._

_"He'll be fine." he could hear the voice, distinctly female, not male as he had believed her to be, but it took a long time to actually be able to see her. His senses were hyper sensitive, her face hidden by the brightness of the sun. But when his vision cleared and he was finally able to lay his eyes upon his savior, he couldn't help but be breathless, though at the time he wasn't sure if it was because of his near-death experience or because of her facial features._

_'Kami she is beautiful...'_

* * *

**End of Chapter.**

**So, there is is :0 I meant to reveal everything regarding the Haruno / Uchiha Massacre in this chapter, but i've decided to hold off on this tid bit of information until later on in the story, sorry x) But I will leave you guys with this here little flashback to keep you guys guessing on it. Anyone have any idea what it'll be about? ^_^. No one has made a guess on it just yet ox**

**I incorporated some Ita x Saku fluff here, I hope you guys found it cute and endearing ^-^**

**This chapter's a wee bit shorter than normal, but I didn't want to break up the part following, I apologize o:**

**ANYWAY, any and all feedback will be much appreciated c: The more reviews, the faster I am at updating! Remember people!**

**More about updates in my profile!**

**-MarzSpy**


	17. Five Kage Summit

**Heyyoo, Another chapter out! Sorry for the long wait.**

**Important A/N after chapter =] For now, I'll let you all get to the new installment ^_^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters in any way, shape, or form.**

**P.S. Flashback is Itachi's P.O.V. of their night in the hotel room!**

**Chapter 17: Five Kage Summit**

* * *

_Sakura was never the calmest of sleepers during Itachi's teen years as he could remember it, and now was no different. She had one leg precariously dangling off the bed, her blankets now ruffling by her waist and a pillow firmly held in place between both her thighs (but whomever sleeps without a pillow between their legs doesn't know what true sleep is, in Sakura's expert opinion anyway). _

_Typical, but this was not at all what was keeping him up. Although amusing in nature, the sort of humor from her sleeping habit was completely drained out of the situation for the simple fact that the sweat pants she had been wearing had rolled up, to the point where her smooth, creamy leg was showing, glistening in the moonlight. Furthermore, her midsection was now bare, the material ruffled somewhere past her belly button (but not making it past the hump of her bare breasts, oh thank Kami), and the moon truly wasn't helping here either. And to top it all off, the hair that had grown significantly long since he had met her shoulder-length pre-teen self was now nearly past the mid section of her back, adding to her allure. _

_She was so, so very vulnerable right now, and there he was, the monster of Konoha just three feet away from the dainty cherry blossom and he could do nothing but stare in awe at her._

_After all this time, he was finally beginning to understand that he was a man with needs; a man with carnal desires, and just seeing her there, perhaps not even looking all that breath-taking to any outsider but to him she was a beauty to be doted over and protected, made him advert his eyes elsewhere, his hand tightening into a fist to help his blood flow._

_If such an occasion arose once more in which they would need to spend a night at a hotel room, he would not rest until they got separate rooms, he decided in frustration._

* * *

"Itachi, I need you to get a message to Konan."

They were sitting down in the same room they had been in often enough, alongside Kisame, although no one else had followed them because Sakura had not ordered them to. Clearly, she wished for privacy. As a side note, Kisame couldn't help but wonder why Sakura was going straight to Itachi for this -had they done this before, perhaps? Something told him he already knew the answer to that question.

"I take it you've obtained the answers we've been seeking." Itachi stated seriously.

Sakura gave a stern nod. "I will explain it to you in the presence of Tsunade. But Konan may be in danger."

Itachi stared at Sakura's emerald orbs, filled with fire and fiercely holding her gaze to meet his. "Hn. Write your message. I will see to it that she receives it."

* * *

_I have the proof you need to halt your actions. As we speak Madara is attempting to rewrite the world that Matsuro-sama has created. Get out while you still can. If he discovers you are a Haruno, he will eliminate you, just as he eliminated the entirety of our clan, and the Uchiha Clan. You and Pein are in perilous danger._

_-Sakura_

* * *

Due to Itachi and Kisame not so covertly hiding out in Sakura's house and clearly not supposed to be there, Tsunade had been forced to relocate her meeting with her student and rogue nin to the Haruno household. Even if there was hardly a chance of anyone catching on to their identity if they just made a henge for themselves, she didn't want to risk it. Danzo was not someone to take so lightly, after all.

As such, she had cancelled all other plans and appointments she had planned on making that day, although Shizune reasoned that this in itself was highly suspicious. But Hiroto had spoken: Sakura had to speak to her immediately, and this matter could not wait, and Tsunade trusted her disciple enough to act accordingly despite Shizune's warnings.

She had to admit it was nerve-wrecking walking into the house, being able to feel two strong surges of chakra within its confines that she did not recognize. Mikoto had greeted her with a bow, stating that she would direct Tsunade towards Sakura's current location. And although Saki was there and wished to speak to Tsunade about her progress and even inquire about the two shinobi that had taken residence in her home, Mikoto had hushed her up and told her now was not the time.

Tsunade walked with Shizune by her side, both on edge but relatively calm on the exterior as they followed the Uchiha matriarch down the halls of the traditionally styled home. "Sakura, Tsunade-sama and Shizune-san have arrived." Mikoto stated from her location on the other side of the shoji door, before she opened it and stepped aside to let Tsunade in. She walked in with Shizune trailing behind her not as confidently as she, as Mikoto bowed and closed the door behind them to give them privacy.

She saw Sakura at the head of the table with Itachi and Kisame on either side of her, and Hiroto and Marika standing in the sidelines respectfully. She and Shizune made their way to the two empty placed of the table and proceeded to sit down, not necessarily knowing what to say or do.

"They don't bite, Tsunade-shishou." Sakura could have snorted, were Matsuro's words of warning not weighing down on her.

"Well excuse me for not knowing how to act in front of two wanted criminals." Tsunade snapped, although glad that the silence was finally broken. "Before we get down to talking about this urgent matter," she began, her eyes falling on the two convicts, "I would like to address you two momentarily." she placed her hands on the table and intertwined her fingers. "First and foremost, I am glad to finally be able to speak to you face to face, Uchiha." she addressed Itachi formally. "Know that after all this is done, I am willing to do anything within my power to clear your name. You have done more than enough for this nation of ours, if what Sakura tells me of the massacre is true, although I wouldn't put it past Danzo to orchestrate it." Although Itachi did not respond, he gave a curt nod, to inform Tsunade that he was indeed listening. "Now you," and then she adverted her gaze towards the Kiri rogue, a sigh escaping her lips. "You are an enemy of Konoha, Kisame, and a missing-nin hunted by Kiri. I can't guarantee your safety outside of the Haruno Compound for the time being, for either of you. But know that I will have to alert Mei of your involvement in this. I will not let harms way reach you until this ordeal is over; but after that I do have a duty as per our alliance to turn you over to her."

"I understand, Tsunade." Kisame gave a nod, not having expected anything less from the Godaime Hokage. She was being too kind, if anything.

"So what is it you have discovered for us, Sakura?" Her eyes finally shifted to Sakura, her gaze serious.

Sakura sighed. "The answer has been right under our noses this entire time, Tsunade-shishou." and as she stated this she seemed to pull something from a scroll pocket, placing a scroll in front of her, but close enough for Tsunade to reach out and grab it. She opened it, immediately realizing what it was. "The Fate God." Tsunade stated in understanding.

"Hai." Sakura nodded, even though she saw Itachi and Kisame stare at each other, almost as if inquiring _'Do you know anything about a Kami?'_

"Madara is trying to exalt himself to the power of the Gods by combining the Tailed Beasts into one, a Ten-Tails, their power in its most basic form. With this, he plans to open a rift into their world and ascend to the plains of the Gods. So Matsuro-sama and Taiyou-sama have informed me, if he gets close to doing so, he'd cause a rift. A disruption in time that would unleash chaos and destruction in the world..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

The room was silent, from all corners of the room, even Marika and Hiroto in shock of what Sakura was stating, although the silence from Itachi and Kisame came because of the mention of Kamis.

"And I don't suppose telling him that his plan will destroy the world will stop him either." Tsunade sighed, already feeling a headache coming on.

"He is either uncaring of the repercussion of his actions, or unwilling to believe, is my assumption. I cannot access memories of the past until Kikyou reawakens, unfortunately, so I have no idea if he even knows the possible outcomes of his actions. Either way, it's not like any of us can tell him easily."

_Kikyou. _Now that was a name that Itachi did recognize. A female of Konoha's past, a woman of legend with power insurmountable and rivaling that of Hashirama and Madara. Had they been alive around the same time? He couldn't quite remember -the legend which he had found at the Naka Shrine was a fairy tale at best, speaking about Gods and reincarnations, although now it was starting to make a little more sense to him.

"There's no reasoning with Madara." Itachi stated, finally speaking up and agreeing with Sakura. He would have time afterwards to ask his questions pertaining to Kamis, after all. For now, they had to focus on Madara. "The only way to stop him will be to defeat him."

"And what of Orochimaru?" Tsunade asked seriously. They had never defeated him, after all, and he was sure to run around wreaking havoc if they weren't too careful. Not to mention he was still after Sakura.

"My assumption is that after Konan and Pein ran him out of the base, Madara went after him and coerced him into an alliance." Itachi stated.

"Which is why he tried to kidnap Sakura a few weeks ago; Madara had ordered it, trying to get rid of Sakura before he could commence his other plans." Kisame nodded, understanding Itachi's reasoning.

"Which means it's safe to say Orochimaru doesn't want Sakura dead." Tsunade stated. "Is it really in his best interest to alliance himself with someone who will kill Sakura the second he gets the chance to, then?" she asked.

"Presumably, no." Itachi agreed. "But I don't see him betraying Madara any time soon. He'll wait and show his cards when he deems it safe enough to capture Sakura. After that, Madara will be irrelevant to him. Although if we can make him understand of the repercussions of his alliance, he might be more easily influenced to reconsider than Madara."

"So what do you guys suggest we do, then?" Tsunade stared expectantly at the ex-Akatsuki members. If anyone had any idea of how to stop him, she supposed it was them.

"Madara tried his best to prevent you from forming alliances with other nations; presumably, he was fearful of the strength in numbers." Itachi stated accordingly. "He is strong, but not invincible."

"And if he was trying to stop it, we should make sure we do everything in our power to proceed." Tsunade nodded in agreement. "I've already arranged a Kage Summit in two days time as it is. We'll present everything we've discovered, and plan accordingly."

"Should we honestly reveal everything we know?" Sakura questioned quizzically. "Kamis are not meant to be known by the entirety of the world. It poses as a threat to their very existence and power." She didn't need to at all relive the mission of saving Taiyou from the hands of Orochimaru, after all.

"Iee. We will keep in secret what they don't need to know." Tsunade shook her head. "The only reason I knew of Matsuro was because of Sarutobi's studies on the matter, left behind for me to claim once I succeeded him. Although it seems to be that it had been given to him, addressed to him by one Ayame Haruno." The implication was clear.

"Hai. Okaa-san was well aware of the impending massacre long before it happened. She had pre-planned everything to pave the way for my succession. I am assuming it was her and Matsuro-sama who allowed you to find this in order to send me to the past in my original timeline." It didn't sound at all unlikely. Everything seemed to have been pre-planned for her, after all.

"So wait a second." Kisame finally interjected. "You mean to tell me you're being serious... About Kamis, and what not... Matsuro and Taiyou... they're real... etto... _Kamis_?" Kisame blinked in confusion, asking the question he knew Itachi too prideful to ask in a less than intellectual manner.

Sakura sighed. "Hai. As a basic form of explanation, I will say there is essentially one for every element and aspect of life. Additionally, they each hold strong ties to certain clans, in particular the Uchiha, Haruno, and Senju, and of course those clans that branch out from them such as the Hyuga or Uzumaki. Taiyou-sama happens to be one of the founding fathers of the Uchiha, so to speak." Sakura stated, her gaze shifting to Itachi. "Back when both of you saved me from Orochimaru's grasps, I had gone off on a mission on Matsuro-sama's demand to reclaim Taiyou, who Orochimaru had obtained. If I remember correctly, your fire techniques and over all strength had been particularly potent that fight, had they not?" Sakura inquired.

Itachi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at this. Now that she mentioned it, he had been immensely confused, having never been able to do so before nor replicate it afterwards, the potency in his techniques. But he had felt immensely strong, as if electricity was surging through his body. "Hn." he finally acknowledged after much thought.

"This had been Taiyou-sama's doing. Although powerful in nature, they require contracts or sacrifices to alter our world. Due to you being a direct descendant of his, you were able to side-step this contract. Essentially, he revitalized you and pushed into you more of his strength and power, a momentary boost in stats to help you defeat Orochimaru and save me, a way of paying me back for my help in his rescue. This is not the first time it had happened, although he has most commonly been aiding Sasuke-kun."

Kisame raised an eyebrow. "Why him?"

"Because, as a means of repaying me, I asked him to protect my younger self until the time in which I grew and this timeline caught up to my present self. From then on, the body of that Sakura fused with my own memories and I was able to return to my timeline. Because we were both in Team 7, the chances were high that if I were ever in danger, Sasuke-kun would be just around the corner. As such, whenever my younger self was in danger, he would do to Sasuke what he did to you Itachi, in order to overcome whatever hurdle presented itself upon us."

"Which is what happened at the Forest of Death during the Chunin Exams." Tsunade nodded in agreement. Both Kisame and Itachi shifted their gazes to Tsunade, as if asking W_hat had happened during the Chunin Exams?_ "Orochimaru had infiltrated the Exams, as you both already know." Of course, it was common knowledge of the day that Sarutobi had been defeated. "But he had attacked Team 7 in hopes of giving Sakura the Cursed Seal, a seal which would have originally been given to Sasuke had it not been for Sakura's interference in the past."

"Sasuke-kun arrived just in time to save me, and proceeded to defeat Orochimaru, at least to the point in which Orochimaru could not continue fighting without catching somebody's attention." Sakura concluded the story. "But this is all irrelevant to the point. Yes, Kami's exist, and Matsuro-sama, the Mother Kami of my clan, is the reason why I was able to travel to the past. Of course, we expect this information to not leave the Haruno household. We are privy to such matters, as I have stated before."

Silence ensued, although Itachi and Kisame gave a curt nod of understanding. But finally, Itachi was able to understand what Sakura had refused to tell him before, although he could understand why Sakura had been so secretive about the matter to begin with; it was rightly justified.

"So what do we do until the Kage Summit?" it was Hiroto who spoke up, breaking the silence that had settled over the table.

"Until then, you two," she directed her gaze at both nuke-nin, "are not allowed to leave the Haruno Compound. I'm sure both of you understand why."

"Hai."

"Hn."

And with that, Tsunade began to stand, stretching her limbs. "I will inform the Daimyo of the information we have stumbled across, save for a few details, and see how he wishes to proceed from there." she concluded, watching as Sakura stood up to follow her out.

"Hai, Tsunade-shishou. Thank you for coming on such short notice." she bowed as a thank you.

Tsunade dismissed her with a wave of her hand. "I'll keep you posted. Of course, I expect you to come to the Summit."

"I will be there." Sakura guaranteed with a nod.

"Good. Now rest up, we've got a long couple of weeks ahead of us."

* * *

Konan wasn't at all surprised to be hearing from Sakura quite so soon, but she was shocked to read over the contents of her short letter.

_Rewrite the world that Matsuro-sama created._

Konan had an inkling of an understanding of what this could possibly mean, and just with this she knew that what Madara had planned would only lead to the destruction of everything they had ever known -all she and Pein had ever worked for. An insight that made her feel guilty for helping this man progress his aims at all. It sickened her to no end, and with this thought in mind, she couldn't help from marching straight to Nagato, swallowing up her hesitancy on the matter. They already had their concerns as to what he could possibly be planning, but neither of them had expected something of this magnitude.

And as strong as Nagato was, she knew neither of them could defeat him -not without Sakura, if the prophecy still held true, that is.

She approached his room and knocked on his door, waiting but three seconds before stepping in, regardless of the fact that Pein had not actually welcomed her in. "Nagato." the way she spoke his name was alarming, to say the least, letting him know immediately that this was not just her saying hi and asking if he wished to eat yet like she normally did.

"Konan" he greeted her calmly, although just by looking at her he couldn't help but feel a foreboding feeling begin to creep in. "What seems to be the problem?" Despite how calm he looked, he knew that for Konan to be this in distress, that something was seriously wrong, and although he asked, he knew this had to pertain to one Uchiha Madara.

"We can't do this anymore." she stated, and just by the look in her eyes Pein knew exactly what it was that she was talking about.

"I already told you, Konan. I will dispose of him once we can no longer make use of him."

"No. Nagato. You won't." She cut him off before he could even try to elaborate. "Because as soon as he captures each Jinchuuriki he'll get rid of you. He won't need you any longer. He's been using us, Nagato... As it is, the Jinchuuriki we possess are hardly under our control." she tried to reason with him.

"It's all part of our plan, Konan." he tried to insist.

"No, it's not..." she argued bitterly. "This was not our original plan, Nagato -and it never would have been had it not been for him. We've strayed so far, and it's because of that man... he's caused too much pain as it is... to the both of us..." And so she spoke, spoke of the massacres in which he was involved in, and the blood of her people on his hands, and of her suspicions that Madara had been the one to give him the Rinnegan to orchestrate this entire ordeal.

"How do you know all this?" Nagato's eyes narrowed. Clearly, she had been speaking to her family more often than he had perceived.

"Does it matter, Nagato? We have known all along that Madara could not be trusted. We can't go on like this. He has been using us." her eyes spoke volumes of how scared she was, scared for Nagato, because if someone was in danger it was him, having the Rinnegan which she knew Madara so desperately wanted.

It was silent for a really long time, Pein simply sitting there to let the news of everything sink in. Not so much Konan's borderline treachery, but news of Madara and the true motives behind his actions. How had Pein let himself be fooled so much for so long? Then again, he supposed Madara was nothing if not manipulative. When he finally spoke, his eyes hard and his tone final, it brought hope to Konan's very being. "Then we shall use him while we still can. Surely he knows that when he disposes me, he'll be left alone. He must have an army ready to wage this war on the Shinobi Nations. Have you ever wondered where it is that Madara goes when he's not here?"

Konan's eyes narrowed. "I've always wondered but never had enough incentive to find out." She was truthful, having never thought about the army angle that Pein had just brought up.

"Well, I think we should... We won't have much time to do it either."

Konan raised an eyebrow. "Where is he now?" Clearly, Pein seemed to know something she did not.

There was a pregnant pause. "He went to gather information on the Six Tails. He'll be back soon, and afterwards he'll go for the beast. He'll more than likely stop at his unknown location before heading off, as I have come to understand through his long absences."

Konan's eyes widened, but she could offer no response, her breath hitched in her throat.

Truly, they had to act fast. "I'll handle this." and without so much as another word, Konan swiftly turned around and walked out, a swish of her robe the only indication of her leaving.

* * *

Deidara was wondering why Konan had called him in at such an odd time: first off, Kisame and Itachi were already out on a mission, and they didn't normally have more than two operatives out on the field at once. Furthermore, his current partner, Tobi, was out doing who knows what for who knows how long. And, now that he thought about it, shouldn't they have heard of Kisame and Itachi's either success or failure at capturing the Jinchuuriki by now?

He shrugged it off, finally appearing in front of the two doors that lead to Konan's make-shift office. He knocked twice, waiting for Konan's curt response of "Come in" before he opened the door with his new hand, still not accustomed to it, although he was improving.

"What is it, un?" he stared at Konan blatantly.

"Kisame's dead." She was so frank, so blunt it brought his eye completely wide, his mood suddenly becoming immensely tense.

"W-...What?"

"And I have my suspicions that Itachi killed him. You want your freedom from Akatsuki, right?" Her gaze was cold and hard, un-telling of the truth and panic that hid behind them.

Deidara narrowed his eyes. The only person that had kept him here had been Itachi, too fearful that if he left Itachi would follow him and defeat him, this time with a worse fate. "And you're saying you're willing to give it to me?"

Konan gave a nod. "If you can do one thing for me, you're free to go. Disappear, run where you want and we won't look for you."

Deidara swallowed the lump in his throat. "What do I have to do, un?"

"I wish to track Tobi's movements."

"Why Tobi, yeah?" Deidara raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"The less questions you ask, the better it will be for you, Deidara." Konan warned him.

For some reason, his instincts told him Konan was right. "When will Tobi be back, hmm?"

"Soon. If he catches you, I cannot guarantee your safety." Konan warned him, if only as an incentive for him to be extra covert about his actions.

Deidara narrowed his eyes. Was she implying that Tobi was more dangerous than he perceived the idiot teammate of his to be? If she was, then it would make sense as to how such an idiot was accepted to begin with. "I won't get caught, yeah." he assured.

* * *

Just as Konan had promised him, Tobi had returned to the base within an hour of his conversation with Konan. And just as he had suspected would occur, Tobi had pounced on him the moment he saw the blonde. "Senpai! Did you miss me?!"

And, as was typical for him to do, he proceeded to punch Tobi in the face. "I already told you to not touch me, brat!" he glared, using this as a distraction for a tiny bug to latch itself onto the inside of Tobi's cloak. So small its chakra signature was unnoticeable, specially made because of Konan's warning.

"But senpai, I missed you!"

"Really? I hardly noticed you were gone, yeah." he shrugged the matter off.

Tobi seemed crest-fallen. "B-But senpai, don't you want to know where I was?"

"Getting your hard candy again? Frankly, I don't care, un." he brushed the comment aside, crossing his arms and turning around in a dismissive manner.

"Oh, come on senpai! I was actually out getting intel on the whereabouts of the Six Tails! I've been assigned by Leader-sama to capture him! Isn't that exciting?! Did you want to come with me and see me capture him? I'm sure you'll be impressed by my skills."

"Get lost Tobi. I'm sure you'll die in the process. I don't plan on being there to save you. I can barely control my arm as it is, un." He, yet again, dismissed Tobi's qualms and began to leave.

"But senpai...!" Tobi called after him, but Deidara didn't care, walking away towards his room, his heart beating at a slightly elevated pace. _'That should do the trick, yeah.'_

Now, all he had to do was sit back and wait.

* * *

The Haruno Compound was in relative silence compared to the unusual bustle it had been in since Sakura's fight with Orochimaru and the appearance of the two friendly nuke-nin. Hiroto, Diachi, and Himawari were off helping Tsunade and Shizune prepare for the upcoming Summit now just a day away, and Sayuri and Sasuke had been in charge of preparing the security detail in and around the premises of the meeting. Saki was off doing a C-Class mission with her team, and Mikoto was up and about the village doing some errands, which left Marika and Sakura alone with the two hidden shinobi.

Seeing as Marika's bedroom was currently being occupied by one Uchiha Itachi, she had been forced to quarter with Sakura for the time being or resort to going half way across town to her apartment. But as she saw it, she hadn't had enough cuddling time with her younger sister anyway, so this was not a problem. After the entire ordeal about Madara's true ambitions and Kaede's imminent danger had finally settled down, they were left for some quiet relaxation time. As such, they had left Itachi and Kisame to their own devices for the time being, and had instead enlisted themselves to a bath, Marika insisted that one would be great for Sakura's stress.

As luck would have it, they were the only ones not currently ordered this way and that by Tsunade in order to prepare for the Kage Summit, Sakura excluded from the preparations due to somebody's need to watch over the Kiri-nin and Uchiha respectively, and Marika a somewhat bodyguard and caretaker of Sakura.

"You know, you've been awful quiet around the Uchiha as of late." Marika began casually, just as Sakura stripped bare and entered the foaming, bubbly bathtub which Marika had drawn for her -she'd be lying if she said it wasn't beyond divine.

"Not more than usual." Sakura raised an eyebrow in protest, tying her hair up in a messy bun and adjusting her body to lay on the tub.

"Or is it perhaps that the Uchiha has been silent around you?" she thought out-loud, highly amused at Sakura's slight scrunch of her eyebrows as she approached the bath tub and sat by the marble exterior.

"And why would that be? You're delusional, Marika-nee." Sakura rolled her eyes, trying to find peace within the sanctity of the bathroom, despite Marika's incessant babble (not that she honestly minded it whatsoever. In fact, it had been too long since she had relished in simple sister-like banter with her).

"Am I?" she spoke mainly to herself. "How were the sleeping arrangements in the hotel, hmm?"

Sakura flinched. "What do you mean how were they?" Sakura glared. "He slept on his bed and I on mine. What are you trying to imply?" she tried to cover up the flinch by narrowing her eyes immediately after.

"Oh, so you were both in the same room, were you?" her interest peaked. "Anything exciting happen?"

A blush rose to Sakura's face, one which Marika took with a mischievous grin. "Oh my, Sakura-chan. My cute little cherry blossom has been deflowered?"

"Shut up Marika-nee!" Sakura complained, throwing suds onto her older sister. "Nothing happened. And don't you dare go around spreading untrue gossip to the likes of Himawari or Hiroto. I'd never hear the end of it." she gave her sister a warning tone. "Nothing happened." she repeated once more, if only to reaffirm her claim.

"Then why the blush?" Marika raised an eyebrow. "All jokes put aside." she added to elaborate that this time, she did not mean to tease her younger sister.

At said comment, Sakura couldn't help but sigh, her body inching further in the water until Sakura's lips were just barely above it. "Marika-nee, the person I fell in love with a decade ago, so to speak, was thirteen years old... He's..."

"A man?" Marika finished for her with a knowing smile.

Sakura turned to her, an even redder blush on her face. "A _hot _man, Nee-san." she could have cringed at her words. She hadn't thought of anyone as so physically attractive since Neji Hyuga the first time she had seen him half naked before she had traveled to the past (and not to mention that this had been when she was like sixteen anyway). "He is so innately manly it's actually quite intimidating. And he's so kind and compassionate and respectful on top of that, which just adds to his allure that much more, and there's so much more I want to add but can't because it just makes me more and more aware of how desperately I actually truly like him." she mumbled, her hands fiddling her fingers nervously under the bubble bath, her tone exasperated.

"Welcome to womanhood, Sakura-chan." Marika couldn't help but blush.

At this comment, Sakura couldn't help but look up and glare. "As if you're one to talk, acting like a little girl at the mention of Shisui." She retorted.

"W-W-What? I-I don't know what you're t-t-talking about." Marika stuttered out, trying to wave Sakura's comment aside.

"Pffft. Please Marika-nee, I wasn't born yesterday. There's a reason why you don't have a boyfriend yet, and it's clear to everybody but him." Sakura scoffed. Despite the fact that she had lied about Genma to Shisui just the day prior, it had not been far from the truth. He had at one point made obvious his interests, although she had been quick to dismiss his advances, and anyone else's in the past. And don't get Sakura wrong -Genma, among other single bachelors who had attempted to court Marika, was an attractive man, smart and funny to boot.

Marika frowned. "Well it's not my fault, alright?" she admitted it with irritation in her tone. "I swear I've tried to tell him -hinted it, even. But he either doesn't understand or changes the subject because he doesn't want to hurt my feelings." Marika frowned. "As is typical of Shisui, though." she added with a resentful sigh.

"Do you think maybe he does so because he doesn't think himself good enough for you, Marika-nee?" Sakura asked out loud, her head falling backwards until she was staring at the dimly lit ceiling -for some reason, it seemed this question did not pertain solely to Marika, but to her as well.

"What do you mean by that?" Marika frowned.

"Well. He's a dead shinobi. No home, no life, no luxuries he can offer you. Here in Konoha you have a chance at things like that. Sometimes I wonder if that's why Itachi acts as distant as he does..." she stated, her eyes distant as she thought of said Uchiha. "He's so hard to understand sometimes..." she sighed.

Marika smiled slightly. "He's having a hard time getting used to this, Sakura-chan. I'm sure as confused as you feel, that he's feeling the exact same way twice over. He's the type of man that feels in control of everything all the time. I'm sure you've taken that away from him." she patted Sakura's head slightly, before she got up and stretched. "As for Shisui, that may be true. But I can't wait around forever. Eventually I'll get tired of him avoiding the topic and I'll just beat him to death so he can't avoid it anymore. If he thinks his inability to offer me things that others can will keep me away, then he's wrong." The way Marika looked at Sakura was so determined, Sakura couldn't help but feel envious.

If only she could be as bold with Itachi, then maybe she wouldn't feel so distant.

"Anyhow, I'll be in your room. Come and get me once you're done with your bath?" Marika suggested.

"Hai. And what of Kisame and Itachi?" she asked, more so wondering if they should be entertained or looked after.

"He and Kisame are discussing matters in the meeting room, I believe. I think they'll be fine on their own for a while." Marika shrugged.

"Oh..." Sakura blinked. "Alright, I'll come and get you then. Can you bring my clothes to the bathroom, please?"

Marika smiled. "Certainly, Sakura-hime." she teased her. And so it had been decided, and Marika excused herself, a wicked grin playing on her features, one which Sakura could not see from her location. _'If Itachi isn't going to help himself, then I'll definitely give him a little nudge in the right direction.' _she held back her snicker.

Decidedly so, she went directly to where Kisame and Itachi currently were, noticing that they weren't conversing about anything too important. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything." she greeted them with a slight smile.

"Not at all." Kisame greeted her, not entirely accustomed to having so many people around him being so friendly willingly.

"Itachi-san, Sakura-chan said she wished to speak to you about something; she's currently in the bath, but she asked if you could wait for her, if you're okay with that."

"Hn. Arigatou." he thanked her. Nevertheless, Konan had gotten back to him with a letter of her own, and it needed to be given to Sakura immediately.

Marika smiled, revealing nothing of how wicked she truly was. "Kisame-san, would you mind sparring with me, then? I'm sure you could teach me a thing or two." she offered with a smile. Normally Kisame was not one to back down from a battle, but he was definitely not in a situation to openly - "I promise I don't bite. I'll go easy on you if you'd like."

"..." Kisame blinked; once, twice. "Oh you're so on, brat." he sneered, suddenly standing up abruptly, although a grin appeared on his features.

Marika couldn't help but smile at this -he reminded her too much of Shisui -maybe this was why he and Itachi got along so well? "I'll show you the way to the training grounds."

"Hai."

* * *

Sakura sighed impatiently, clearly irritated.

_Where was her sister with her clothes?_

She tapped her foot impatiently, realizing that, after the fifth minute of waiting for her clothes, her sister would most definitely not be coming around with what she had asked. And with a narrowing of her eyes, she realized why, sensing both her chakra signature, as well as Kisame's own, leaving the compound. And with a decidedly gut-wrenching, sweat-trickling feeling, she realized that she was home alone with Itachi clad in a towel with her bedroom halfway across the house (did she mention she had to pass the meeting room to get to her bedroom? No? Well, she did).

Great.

_'Remind me to castrate Marika-nee,' _she added a mental note, scrambling her thoughts as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was far from naked, a towel placed on her body securely, but if she were honest, it was shorter than she'd like it to be and it was just plain _weird _to be walking around like that with another male not her cousin or teammates in the house (and even if it were the case, she never let Hiroto or even Naruto see her like this unless she absolutely had to).

But Marika had screwed her, and as such she had no choice, so with a loud inhale and exhale, she sucked up her dread and opened the door to the bathroom, very keenly aware of Itachi's presence in the meeting room. So long as he remained there, she would just walk right by it and head straight to her bedroom, and all would be right with the world.

Her plan would have worked too, had it not been for the fact that Itachi was expecting her, and furthermore had to give her the urgent reply from Konan.

As such, just as she was about to pass the shoji door to the meeting room in which Itachi was waiting for her, she felt his signature move, and even heard him stand, indicated by a shuffling of fabric.

Her eyes widened in panic ready to make a run for it, but it was too late as the shoji door slid open, Sakura clutching onto her towel as if it were her lifeline even if she knew it was securely tucked away.

"Sakur-" His breath hitched in his throat as his eyes landed on Sakura's eyes and her own on his, and for a moment they were both still, Sakura looking on as if she had just been caught stealing.

"..."

"..."

Sakura was the first to act, clearing her throat to try and break the silence so she could quickly run away. "Itachi." she greeted him, trying to dissipate the uncomfortable silence that had settled between the two of them. _Maybe if she acted indifferent, then things wouldn't be so awkward, after all. _"Was there something you needed?" She did her best to soothe out her tense muscles, although her hands never left the center of her chest, where she was holding on securely to her towel, even if it was already tightly secured to her body by a knot (unbeknownst to her though, this was only making her chest protrude more noticeably with a tell-tale sign of the tantalizing cleavage she was creating by pushing her arms together).

"Konan has responded." He did his best to not stare as he shifted his gaze to the letter in his hand, still unopened and waiting for Sakura's attention.

Her eyes widened, her heartbeat quickening for entirely different reasons than the situation at hand.

"But, I suppose the matter can wait until you're ready to deal with the situation." Still, his eyes looked elsewhere, although even with this he could not help his peripheral vision from taking in Sakura's figure, the towel barely coming up to her mid-thigh, her hair an unruly bun on her head with a small headband to keep the stray wet strands off her face (and let's not mention the more alluring parts of her lack of clothing, such has her silky smooth legs or the small indent of cleavage just barely visible, lest Itachi have to do breathing exercises once she retired to her room).

Sakura blinked once before making the connection, her face growing instantly red. "O-O-Of course. I'll meet with you shortly." she turned and began to walk away immediately (which only further helped Itachi reprimand himself for watching her leave).

Without so much as another word, he turned to once more return to the meeting room, impassively staring at the scenery outside, although his hands hid under the table with ever more tightening fists.

* * *

_I'll be in touch. Expect to hear from me again within the next day._

_-Konan_

Sakura shifted uncomfortably. Itachi had caught her awkwardly walking around half naked because of _this? _Had it been more urgent she may have let it slide, but this just irritated her. "Is it safe to assume she's trying to gather intel for us?" she tried to snap herself out of her thoughts, tossing the letter onto the table as her eyes landed on Itachi, despite the discomfort she felt (and the unnoticeable hesitancy in his own).

"Hn. She will have to do it discreetly."

Sakura nodded. It would be valuable information to present to the Kage Summit as they proposed to go to war with a man presumed dead for decades. "I will send this information to Tsunade-shishou immediately, in hopes that she could reach Mei in time. Hopefully the other Kages will believe what we have to say." she sighed.

"They will have no choice after finding out you have captured Kisame and myself, so to speak." he stated. They were an immediate source to Akatsuki, after all.

"That is if they believe you're telling the truth." Sakura frowned.

"Put your faith in Tsunade. You know better than most what she's capable of." Itachi tried to ease her uncertainties the best he could.

"I know, it's not her I don't trust." Sakura frowned. It wasn't so much Mei or Gaara she was worried about, but neither A nor the Tsuchikage were they remotely friendly with. Sure, formalities with A had gone well enough and Naruto and B had some semblance of a friendship, but A was first and foremost a strategist who relied on strength -not the unknown source of information discovered primarily due to Sakura's time travelling, of which no one would believe her. And to top it all off, the Tsuchikage didn't exactly have the cleanest of histories. Who was to even say he would help their cause? But regardless of all of this, it helped her not to worry. The Summit was tomorrow, and until they all sat down there and discussed matters, then nothing would get done, so why worry about it?

And just as she had finished thinking this, suddenly they felt a presence at the door.

"Sakura-chan, I'm home! Mind helping me with the groceries?" It was Mikoto, and she brought the groceries needed to prepare a dinner for ten, if required.

Sakura looked at Itachi. "I guess all we can do for the time being is wait." As it was, she wouldn't mind getting away from Itachi because staring at him was a reminder of him seeing her in a towel, and she didn't want to think about that if she didn't have to.

"Hn."

* * *

It was nearing midnight when Konan finally had a knock on her door: Deidara.

They needed no introductions between the two as she hurriedly approached the door and opened it. There was a serious expression exchanged between them, as if they were speaking telepathically, before Deidara finally nodded. "It's a long journey. We should go now, un."

And so it had been.

* * *

_Sangaku no Hakaba (Mountain's Graveyard)_

Deidara had been right: it was a long journey. One cut drastically shorter thanks to his bird for transportation, but a long one nonetheless. And so they stood, atop his bird hovering several meters in the air as they surveyed the expanse before them, bones of enormous proportions protruding from the ground, a tell-tale sign of beasts of times past. "What is this place, un?" Deidara stood nervously, his eyes narrowed. Clearly, this was not where Tobi went to go get his hard candy.

Konan turned to look at him. "You think I know if I had you follow him?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Deidara did not bother with a response to this, his eyes once more looking over at the vast expanse. "What is Tobi getting himself into, un?" Deidara was wary.

_If only he knew._

Konan did not bother to respond to this. "Can you bring us to the ground? I need to have a look around."

Deidara merely nodded, as the bird descended onto the ground. They hopped off expertly, both tense and on edge, because they clearly didn't know what to expect from this place.

_'What could Madara possibly be doing here?' _Her eyes narrowed.

"I'm getting the creeps from this place, un." Deidara stated forewarningly. His instincts were never wrong -hell, he trusted them completely. So for them to tell him that this place was no good, clearly meant that he should never have followed Tobi here in the first place. _'What is Konan getting involved in, yeah?' _he couldn't help but wonder, peering curiously at Konan, although she paid him no mind as she looked around the area.

But before he could make any indication of wanting to leave, suddenly not just his, but Konan's rings began to glow in a tell-tale sign that someone was trying to communicate with them. They looked at each other simultaneously, suddenly finding themselves even more alert. "Act normal." Konan threatened with narrowed eyes. This would go one of two ways, after all.

Without another moment's notice, they both began to create the proper handsigns, creating their respective holograms to whomever it was trying to contact them.

_"Greetings senpais!"_

_Deidara let out a sigh of exasperation. "What do you want, un? I was trying to get some sleep." Although he said this, truthfully speaking, he didn't know whether he should be glad that it was Tobi or not. Frankly, after following him here, he wasn't entirely sure that Tobi was as innocent as he always led on -and he was beginning to understand that Konan didn't think so either._

_"Sleep?! But this is a time to celebrate Deidara-senpai! Tobi just located the Six-Tails! This will be Tobi's second ever Jinchuuriki! Remember how I captured the Sanbi, Deidara-senpai? Do you remember how cool I was? Well, I will be even cooler this time! You should have come to see it senpai!"_

_"You ran from the Sanbi, and I was forced to do all the work last time, imbecile." Deidara seethed. _

_"Senpai, there's no need to be mad just because I've successfully captured one Jinchuuriki, soon to be two now, and you have yet to capture the One-Tail." Tobi snickered._

_"..."_

_"..."_

_"I'm going to kill you when you get back, un. I'm going back to sleep. Idiot, un." and with that, Deidara cut off his signal, leaving only two holographic figures left standing before Tobi. Pein and Konan stared expectantly at Madara._

_"We'll start the extraction process immediately upon my return, be ready. I will have him captured by dawn." The childlike nature of Tobi's persona was gone, not that it really mattered, both Pein and Konan all too used to it._

_"Hai." and just as quickly the hologram of Tobi was gone._

When Konan came to, Deidara was staring at her expectantly. "It looks like you're out of time, and my end of the deal has been paid, un." Deidara stated.

Konan frowned. "If you leave now, things will be suspicious, not just for me, but for you too."

Deidara's eyes narrowed. "But you pr-"

"I know what I promised, Deidara. You'll get your freedom. Be patient. For now, we need to return to the base. Once Tobi comes back, he'll want us to begin the extraction process on the Six-Tails." Deidara stared daringly at Konan. How dare she go back on her word like that? But before he could argue against her, she parted her lips once more. "If he discovers you abandoned the organization out of bad faith he will investigate and come after you. You will incriminate not just yourself, but me as well. And he will kill us." Konan spoke so seriously on the matter.

Deidara's eyes narrowed. "Fine; I understand the logical argument, un. But I swear, if my life feels at all threatened I'm leaving immediately. Do you understand, yeah?"

"Hai." Konan gave a curt nod. "This is a fair argument. It will take Tobi three days to get back to the base. I suggest you leave now." Konan warned him, shifting her gaze from him to the area surrounding her.

"And you, un?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow, although he didn't hesitate in the slightest to bring his bird swooping down as he swiftly jumped atop of it.

"I'll catch up with you later." Clearly, Konan was set on investigating this area.

Although giving her a scrutinizing look, he dare not argue against her. After all, what did he care what happened to her at the end of the day? And regardless of this, whatever Konan was getting herself involved in, he clearly didn't want to part take. If she wanted to throw away her life that was all fine and dandy with him, so long as she didn't expect him to throw away his as well.

She waited a long time after Deidara was no longer visible in the horizon to act. But when she did, she momentarily closed her eyes, and when she reopened them they were no lit a golden hue, the only indication of her lineage. There was a small shake around her, as suddenly a Maple Tree erupted from the ground before her, standing strong and proud, clearly unique from any of the other trees around them.

_'Mistress, it's good to see you.' _the voice of her contract, clearly male, seemed to echo in the wind.

She gave a small smile as she approached her tree, placing a gentle palm onto it as she sent a pulse of chakra and concentrated om the area before her.

All life was connected, and this statement help just as true with the trees surrounding her.

But she could have never prepared for what she had seen or sensed within the confines of this place, deeply rooted underground. And without so much as a moment's notice her contract was gone, she vanished along with it.

_'Sakura...'_

* * *

There was an odd sort of silence that had settled over Konoha since dawn; probably because they all knew of the Summit that was to take place within just a short hour, as they waited for every dignitary to arrive with a handful of their own shinobi.

Mei had been the first to arrive, alongside a shinobi that Sakura had learned to be named Chojuro from her last stay at the village, and Ao, someone she had heard of often enough in passing conversation. Things were seemingly friendly between Tsunade and Mei, as they sat down at the meeting place and spoke over a cup of sake, with their shinobi looming in the background, talking idly amongst each other.

Among Tsunade's company had been Shikamaru, Kakashi, and Sakura, with Sasuke and Himawari guarding the entrance to the chambers and Marika securing Kisame and Itachi's position in the Haruno house.

Their talks hadn't lasted very long, for within the hour Gaara had arrived with Temari and Kankuro, and lastly had been the Tsuchikage and Raikage, accompanied by Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi, and Killer B and Darui respectively.

After they had all arrived and had been seated, the doors had been sealed shut as the five Kage sat in a pentagon-shape, relatively tense.

"I'd like to humbly welcome you all to Konoha, for starters. I know for some it has not been your first time invited here." As she stated this, she directed a courteous nod to Mei. "But for others, this has been the first occasion to properly seek you out. Onoki." she regarded him specifically. "I know I hadn't been able to reach out to you before this meeting unlike everyone else -but I do want you to know I had every intention in doing so."

Onoki seemed un-phased. "I'd ask what this is about, but it's clear to me that you've been creating alliances left and right -or attempting to, at least. One could almost accuse you of trying to start another Shinobi World War." he seemed frank; condescending, if anything.

"A wanted to establish a meeting of Kages to solidify an alliance between us, yes." Tsunade stated, undeterred by the Tsuchikage's proclamations. "And yes, this is about starting a Shinobi World War. But against Akatsuki."

The Tsuchikage shifted in his seat. "And what makes you think that they are so much of a threat that we must unite against them?" he asked condescendingly.

"Akatsuki activity as of late has been targeted towards Kages, not just Jinchuuriki. We saw an attempt at Gaara's life, then promptly that of Mei's, despite her Jinchuuriki being just a few meters away from her. Afterwards, they were spotted near the borders of Kumo by my own shinobi. We don't have to be geniuses to understand what their intentions may potentially be. If they take us out one by one, our villages will be left defenseless. And it is our duty to make sure that never happens." Tsunade states seriously. "Most, if not all, have used Akatsuki before in some way or another. We are all at fault for them have risen in power. And we stand today with only three Jinchuuriki left under our possession. Why should we wait until he takes them all to finally act?"

"Akatsuki has been drained in numbers significantly over the years. They are not so much a threat that we must wage a war." A seemed realistic. "Within there seems to be six more; hardly anything worth a war."

"They may be small in numbers, but they are great in power." Gaara warned. "I alone was defeated by one of their men, with the power of a Jinchuuriki on my side. Had it not been for my strengths, my entire village would have been destroyed no thanks to the kinjutsu stolen from you by your disciple, Onoki." Gaara was frank, glancing at Onoki, and then at Tsunade, almost as if notifying her that, no matter what, he would support their decision. "Tsunade has a point. They have been trying to limit us from forming alliances out of fear."

"Fear of us unifying as one. It's a logical assumption." Mei stated with a nod.

"I'ts not just an assumption. I have proof." Tsunade stated, sudden directing her attention towards A. "I had my shinobi tell you that we had encountered information on the true mastermind behind Akatsuki, and that I would share it with you." she stated. "And I believe that with this information, you all will understand why this alliance, why this war, must be waged."

A nodded in agreement; if new evidence came to light, evidence so damning that they had no choice but to join Tsunade's crusade to eliminate all things Akatsuki, then he would hear it, and he would act accordingly.

"Months ago, I came to the understanding that Tobi, the masked Akatsuki member partnered with Deidara, plays the fool but is actually the puppet master to the organization."

The Tsuchikage raised an eyebrow. "And what leads you to this conclusion?"

Tsunade allowed a long sigh to escape her lips before she spoke. "He tried to kill one of my shinobi many years ago, donning the same mask he does now, because she had stumbled upon a clue to his identity. I don't suppose that's a common mask. Furthermore, he showed strengths of which I don't see coming from the mere shinobi he portrays himself to be."

"And why were you only able to make that connection now if the incident occurred many years ago?" The Tsuchikage asked.

"This information was not available to me at the time due to particular circumstances." Tsunade spoke.

Gaara seemed to sense what Tsunade was implying about Sakura, and instead changed the subject so as to make sure none would pry on the matter. "So have you figured out the identification of the masked Akatsuki member?"

"Our sources have pin-pointed it, yes." Tsunade breathed in slowly. "When he had attacked my shinobi years ago, he used an eye technique which she was barely able to evade -the Amaterasu." She could see all shinobi physically tense at the information, especially because the only person capable of said eye technique was Itachi, and he couldn't be the masked nin, clearly already holding his position among the ranks of Akatsuki. "With the information we have gathered but just days ago, we have positively identified the man as none other than Madara Uchiha."

The room seemed to freeze, as if just the very man made chills run down their spines.

"Madara? It can't be. He's been dead for well over a century." The Tsuchikage proclaimed, a distant memory playing in the back of his head, his one and only encounter with Madara Uchiha, a fearsome foe which ever way you looked at it.

"Well apparently he hasn't." Gaara glanced at the Tsuchikage, then at Sakura, then back at Tsunade. There was no way Sakura was wrong about this, after all.

"Who are your sources?" A seemed mildly intrigued.

"Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame." And once more, the room seemed to freeze over. "I currently have them in custody. I have kept this information secret so as to protect the advantage we currently have, but they came to me a few days ago with a momentary truce. They have agreed to aid us for the time being in hopes of stopping Madara's plans."

"And why would they offer their services?" Mei seemed alarmed, recalling that one of those men had tried, and failed, to kill her but months prior.

"Because they have come to the realization that allowing Madara to continue his plans will mean death for them as well. There is no point in following Madara if he is only using them." And suddenly she turned to Mei. "I have instructed him that he will turn himself in to your custody after this is over Mei. He seems to be in agreement."

Mei seemed intrigued. "For now. There's nothing stopping him from returning to his rogue life after Madara."

Tsunade supposed that in the eyes of anyone else, this would hold true, but she knew better, especially after everything that they had gone through in order to protect Sakura and her family. "Those affairs are out of my hands. As of now, I am merely stating what it is that I have been informed."

"And how do we know this isn't some form of trap?" A reasoned out logically.

"I can assure you it isn't." It was Sakura who suddenly spoke, her level-headed gaze never leaving that of the Tsuchikage who questioned her with a scrutinizing gaze for even speaking out in a conversation meant to be solely for the Kages of the village.

"And who are you to be so certain? You are but a child." Even though the Tsuchikage said this, he couldn't ignore the crest of the Haruno worn proudly in her attire, or the way that every other Kage in the room regarded her with some form of respect -what did they knew that he did not?

"I am the sole heir to the Haruno Clan; the child of prophecy. And I have witnessed first hand what it is Madara is capable of. And I can also assure you that it is in everyone's best interest to stop him; Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame included." Sakura stated brazenly, stepping forward to speak with Tsunade's blessing.

The Tsuchikage, as well as A, seemed to tense at Sakura's revelation, but neither mentioned anything. Gaara and Mei remained unaffected, both knowing this long before already. "Child of prophecy or not, you mean to tell me you have fought this man and lived?"

"I fought him and barely escaped with my life." Sakura stated. "Which is why he has been after me ever since he discovered my identity. He will stop at nothing until he has the world under his control. And I can assure you it will be a world where none of us live in it."

There seemed to be a pause as the room let all this information sink in. When the air was finally broken, it was Gaara who spoke. "So how do you suppose we go about this, then?" he shifted everyone's attention.

"We unite our forces, of course." Tsunade stated, happy that, with Sakura's small out-burst, they had come to see the logic in her plan.

But before anything else could be said between any of them, they heard a commotion outside of the door, guarded by the sole Uchiha survivor and another member of the Haruno Clan.

_"Let me through! It's important! I need to get a message to Sakura!"_

Only the Konoha-nin recognized this voice, a voice belonging to Sakura's very own sister, although the other Kage looked around nervously, clearly left tense by the intrusion.

Tsunade looked at Sakura in confusion, but knew that for Marika to have left her post alongside Itachi and Kisame, that this must be urgent, and it more than likely had something to do with Konan. "I think we should let her in and hear what she as to say."

It seemed that they would have no choice on the matter, for Himawari and Sasuke, clearly biased in their decision, allowed Marika to enter the private meeting, sweat trickling down her brow.

"Marika, what's the meaning of this?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow, wondering what could have possible made her so nervous.

But she didn't answer Tsunade, at least not immediately, as her eyes scanned the occupants of the room until they fell on Sakura's figure. "Sakura. I bring word. It's urgent."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "From who?" Even though she asked, she had a feeling she knew exactly who it was, and what it was about.

"It's... Kaede." the implication was clear, and Marika walked on with purpose, the letter tightly gripped within her hand. She hadn't been able to help herself from reading it, which is why, that much more, she had made it her mission to deliver the letter, despite the fact that she was disturbing a Kage Summit.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, staring at Sakura in curiosity. To answer her unspoken question, Sakura allowed herself to come close to Tsunade, her mouth just a few centimeters from Tsunade's ear. "Konan; Akatsuki."

Tsunade's eyes widened, as Marika handed Sakura the letter, as she quickly opened it and read over it's contents.

_We are out of time._

_The Six-Tails is in danger._

_Madara has built his army._

_I'll arrive tonight with more details._

_-K._

From her location alongside Sakura, Tsunade couldn't help but read its contents, her eyes snapping to Mei immediately. "Mei. Where is your Jinchuuriki?"

Mei couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Travelling across the Shinobi Nations unperturbed as he always does with a team of my ANBU following. Why?" she certainly didn't like the way that Marika had ran in, and definitely not after Tsunade had immediately asked for the whereabouts of her Jinchuuriki.

Tsunade and Sakura exchanged tense glanced, before returning Mei's gaze. "I think he's been tracked."

Mei's eyes narrowed almost immediately as she turned behind her. "Ao." within just his name he had appeared behind her, knelt down to receive his order. "Go find out where the ANBU team is. Have them capture Utakata and bring him here. Now."

"Hai, Mizukage-sama." and in the blink of an eye he had vanished, leaving Chojuro to stand alone behind his Kage.

Meanwhile, Marika was still alongside Sakura, peering over her shoulder at the contents of the latter. Although this was devastating news, the latter part of the letter was more disturbing to her. "Sakura, what does she mean by he has "built his army"? He couldn't possibly have gathered more followers, could he have?" she whispered.

Sakura stared at Tsunade in horror as the reality of the situation sunk in. "I have no idea."

"Needless to say, we don't have much time to figure it out." Marika stated, somewhat in a panic.

"Tsunade, what's going on?" A could no longer stand watching them become more and more anxious by the second, and not knowing why it was.

Tsunade tensed, looking up to meet A's gaze. "It is too late. Madara has waged his war on us." And as she said this, she grabbed the letter out of Sakura's hands and placed it upon the table, so that each remaining Kage could read the information scribbled down in a hurry.

"Then we shall do the same." A stated fiercely. "Whatever sources you guys have, it seems they have much to offer. Is there any possible way for us to meet said informant?"

Tsunade switched gazes from A to Sakura.

"Iee. My source demands anonymity. She speaks solely to me." Sakura stated.

"Then get her here and figure out what it is she meant." Tsunade muttered under her breath.

"Right away, shishou." And so Sakura stood up abruptly, bowing in respect, before fleeing the Summit with Marika trailing not far behind her.

"Needless to say, we will put a pause on this Summit until we can get more information on the exact number of this supposed army. But before we do this, are we all under agreement that this alliance most occur immediately?"

There was not a word spoken in the room, a show of agreement by all counterparts.

"Good. I will call upon you all once we have more information.

And that had been that.

* * *

The day seemed to pass dreadfully slow, Sakura left to pace around her house for a majority of the time, just waiting until nightfall, which would by default mean Konan's arrival.

Lunch and dinner had been a good way to pass the time, but by sundown she was once again left pacing, just waiting to once again hear from Konan, the only like that still had that could possibly give them an edge in this war.

"Tobi made a play. Madara's not playing games anymore." Kisame stated seriously, sitting down alongside Itachi, Hiroto, and Marika, just watching Sakura pace. The fact that he had gone alone, and not followed the two-man team like usual, meant that he did not want to be held back by Deidara. He was fight for real now, all the restraints of his persona unchained. "There's not doubt in my mind that if he's found the Six-Tails, that he'll be captured by dawn."

"Which means that we're down to two." Hiroto acknowledged warily. Although both Jinchuuriki were currently here alongside all the remaining Kages, Utakata had not.

Clearly, he had known this would happen, and had also known that Utakata would be left defenseless. This had not been a spur of the moment assault. It had been planned, calculated, and perfectly executed. In a way, they had almost fallen for his trap. It was common knowledge that a Kage Summit had been planned, and until further notice all shinobi were on inactive, stand by positions, as was typical protocol, and he had used it against them.

"That bastard." Sakura clicked her tongue in irritation, her hands balling into tight fists that would no doubt break anything that crossed its path. Although she had to be truthful and state that she wasn't Utakata's biggest fan, she had promised to put a stop to Madara's plans so he would no longer hurt anybody else, Utakata included.

"Don't worry. He will be stopped. Utakata will be fine." Hiroto tried to express some words of encouragement, but even he had to admit the chances were looking slim.

But before anyone had anything else they could possibly say on the matter, Sayuri appeared before them, dressed in her typical ANBU attire. "While roaming the outskirts of the village I came across a hidden chakra signature, by way of my lilies."

"Was it Konan?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Hai. I believe so. She is lingering near the lake. Clearly she is wary of entering the village with so many top tier shinobi guarding every entrance and exit." Sayuri explained.

Sakura gave a nod. "I will come to her then." And so Sakura began to set out, even as Hiroto and Marika made a move to follow behind her. "You two should stay here, lest someone pick up our activity" she stated with a brief pause, "although I do recommend that you two perhaps come." and as she said this she gave a pointed look towards the two former Akatsuki members. They would be more well-versed in Madara's plans, after all.

"Hn."

"Hai."

It was not at all a bad plan, other than the fact that they would have to sneak out of the village, although this didn't necessarily pose as too much of an issue given their caliber. Plus, if they could remain within the Haruno Compound then they were relatively safe as well.

The walk had been silent between the three, both males following their female counterpart until she stopped before two bushes. "It's small, and I apologize for the cramped space especially to you Kisame, but this is the safest way to get there." It had been the very same hidden underground pathway that she, alongside her remaining Haruno clan members save Konan, had used to escape the Haruno Clan Massacre many years prior, after all.

After emerging from the other end of the tunnel, it didn't take long to find Konan, sitting below a maple tree which stood out from the other forestry around them.

Konan had sensed them before actually seeing them, and had glanced in their general direction before they had appeared from behind the shrubbery. She gave them a small smile, moreso a greeting if nothing else, as they approached her. Although no greeting was truly exchanged because of the serious topics to be discussed, Sakura was glad to see Konan was doing safe.

"I'm glad to see you two are doing well." Konan acknowledged Kisame and Itachi with a curt now, before addressing Sakura. "Sakura-hime. I'm sorry for coming here so late."

"Better late than never." Sakura dismissed Konan's apology. "But let's get down to business. What do you mean by an army, Konan?" Although she asked this, Konan seemed to hesitate to answer so quickly, which only made the foreboding feeling in the pit of her stomach grow ten-fold. "How bad is it really?" she could barely dare to ask.

With a sigh, Konan finally parted her lips. "Madara has built a White Zetsu Clone army. He must have been cloning them for years now under Sangaku no Hakaba. He's built his own lair there. It's like an underground maze." she explained.

"You managed to infiltrate the base?" Kisame raised an eyebrow in question.

"Iee. My contract with my maple tree allows me to in essence see with the roots of the tree. There are vast rooms there, but I cannot sense that which does not have chakra. Other than the army, I don't know for certain what else is down there." Konan explained.

"And of the army? How many should we expect to have to fight off?" Sakura asked seriously.

But at the question, Konan's face got even paler, if possible. "Thousands. Tens of thousands..."

Dread filled every fiber of Sakura's being. It didn't matter if all the Shinobi Nations allied at that point -they would be lucky to have one shinobi for every two or three Zetsu clones to fight them if that were the case.

"And how strong are they?" It was Itachi who spoke this time.

"They heal almost instantaneously, being genetically identical to Hashirama's cellular structure. They're more resilient than a bunshin, perhaps about Jounin tier, as far as their difficulty to defeat goes." Konan contemplated seriously.

"Is there an easier way to defeat them?

"I don't know..." Konan admitted truthfully. "I know nothing of Madara's true strength or abilities, or the origin of White Zetsu. I've only ever seen it in action once before in my life. But if he trusts anyone with his plans, It's Zetsu."

Sakura couldn't help but click her tongue in irritation. They had hardly any information to go off of, other than the numerical quantity of their opponent, and even this was a daunting task to imagine in itself. How was she to go to Tsunade with this information and expect anyone to feel confident about winning this war?

But before Konan could say anything else, her ring began to glow, an indication that someone was trying to get through to her. All four shinobi exchanged glances briefly. "I'll be right back." And so she turned her back towards them briefly, praying that this was not once again Madara.

_"Where are you?"_

_The voice was easily recognizable as Pein -of which she was glad. Clearly, this was a private message between the two. __"In Konohagakure informing them of the army laying in wait for the war." Konan spoke seriously. "I think it's too late for us to stop him, Nagato..."_

_There was a pause as Nagato contemplated this. "What do you supposed we do then, Konan?" he asked seriously._

_Konan remained silent for a long time. She had a plan, one she would have to run by Sakura, but a plan nonetheless, and they had to act immediately. "Do you trust me, Nagato?"_

_"I've never not." He didn't even bat an eyelash._

_"Then abandon the base before he returns. Madara will come for you. For those eyes. And we must make sure he doesn't get them." _

_Nagato hesitated. "It's too late for that. Tobi has captured the Six-Tails. He is on his way as we speak..."_

_Konan could physically feel her heart sink down to her stomach at the mention. "We'll get you out of there, don't worry Nagato..." she promised._

_"He will arrive in two days time. The extraction process will commence immediately." _

_"I'll figure something out. I just need time." Konan pleaded, knowing that they were coming down to the wire now. If they stayed any longer, Nagato's life was in jeopardy, and not to mention that she had already made a deal promising Deidara's freedom._

_"Well we don't have any. Make sure you're here before Tobi arrives." _

And with that, suddenly the holographic connection to Nagato was gone, and Konan was once more thrust back into the real world, where Sakura, Kisame, and Itachi were staring at her expectantly. Konan turned to face them, her face growing darker and more daunting by the second.

"Konan? What's the matter?" Sakura asked, confused and anxious.

"There's one more thing, Sakura-sama... Utakata's been captured... As I speak Madara is on his way to the base with him. The extraction process will start in two days time." And so she stared at Sakura as she spoke, her eyes wide and disbelieving. How could Madara have captured him so fast? Nevermind that -she knew exactly how he could, but she had been too hopeful in thinking that perhaps Sakura could have prevented his capture. Kisame's eyes narrowed at Konan's words, gone unnoticed by all but Itachi, although he remained silent, turning to stare at Sakura.

Her eyes widened at the news, her spirits dropping. '_It was too late...'_

* * *

**End of Chapter**

**So as far as the flashback at the beginning of the chapter goes, I kind of want to get into the mind of Itachi more and kind of show his sexual frustrations finally emerging after so long of being... well, you know, inactive and his feelings dormant. I don't really want to take it too far, but I have come up with the decision of having a Lemon to this fic, although this will not be until much further down the line, and I will post it under a different story to kind of protect the current genre so other readers who do not wish for it do not have to see it.**

**So with this tid bit I'm kind of just showing that Uchiha Itachi is most definitely a man now XD Tell me what you all think about this? x)  
**

**The chapter itself didn't have much going on other than just finding out Madara's plans and what not, but I guarantee you that the next chapter will be more exciting!**

**Now, for the IMPORTANT A/N**

**I will be renaming this fanfic to Sakura's New Present, not much of a change, but it will be changed to adequately support the trilogy I want to create (Past, Present, Future, to to speak). 95% of the planning for this fic, as far as plot/character development goes is already completed, so I'm starting to plot the 3rd and final installment to this, and oh my Kami I am SO excited for this ^_^. This change will come into effect once I update Chapter 18, just to give all my readers time to read the alert and expect the change.**

**I'm estimating that this story will be done by about Chapter 23-ish and if all goes well the story itself will be completed by about May/June, although I'll be creating a more extensive and accurate calendar for myself in a week or so to show you what's on my agenda. But hopefully after this, it'll take me another 1-2 months to whip out the sequel for you all ^_^**

**Any and all feedback would be much appreciated! I love you all and I want to thank you for all the support you have all given me, and hopefully I don't disappoint with the next fight scene to come ^_^.**

**-MarzSpy**


	18. Utakata

**Next chapter up! Sorry about the wait. Hopefully you guys aren't disappointed with the fight scene to come c: More A/N after the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters in any way, shape, or form.**

**Chapter 18: Utakata**

* * *

_He's been captured..._

_Sakura didn't know what to think, so for the longest time she just stood there, her eyes wide. She had to be honest: she hardly knew the man, hardly **liked** him even, but that didn't mean that she felt okay just sitting back and doing nothing while his life was slowly (and painfully) being sucked right out of him._

_"How long does he have?" Sakura muttered after a long time._

_"Six days."_

_Sakura frowned -it took three days just to get to Ame, and everyone around her knew she was thinking this too. But regardless of all this, was she truly considering even going? When it inevitably meant going up against Madara?_

_"What did you want to do about this, Sakura-sama?" Konan asked genuinely. Truth be told, she wouldn't even hold it against Sakura for choosing to not do anything at all; but for some reason, part of her hoped she wouldn't, if only because she was resentful that she still had to help Madara further such a goal._

_"There's not much I can do." Sakura frowned. "-At least, not without Tsunade-shishou's consent. I'll have to run this by her and see how she wants to proceed."_

_"And if she gives the okay?" Itachi asked._

_Sakura turned to look at him, then back at Konan, both eyeing her seriously (and why in Kami's name was she the deciding factor for this rescue mission, she couldn't help but wonder in an agitated fashion). "Then I'll do anything within my power to get him back." Her words were definitive, a sense of finality settling over the conversation._

_Konan nodded. "I hope to see you there. Worry not. I will guarantee that neither Deidara, Pein, or myself have to compromise ourselves with your rescue mission."_

_"That would be reassuring." Kisame stated with a nod. A three versus one would be much easier than three versus four, after all. _

_"For now, I must go and make preparations elsewhere."_

_Sakura nodded, knowing that this probably meant securing Nagato's safety, because he was as much her world as Itachi was her own. Naturally, she turned to Itachi and Kisame. "I need to go alert Tsunade-shishou. I expect to see you guys back at the compound, then?"_

_Itachi nodded wordlessly, and as Konan bid her goodbyes, the trio of shinobi split, Sakura heading towards the center of the village alone, and Kisame and Itachi heading towards the Haruno Compound._

* * *

It had been a little past midnight when a sudden, immediate call for all the Kage to assemble had been called. Needless to say, although tired, they knew it could not wait, especially with a threat of an army just looming over the distance ready to attack, and the Six-Tails currently missing on top of that. As such, the Kages and their aids come to the meeting, Tsunade accompanied by Shikamaru, Sakura, and Kakashi.

But this meeting had not been called by Tsunade -no, it had been called by Mei before Sakura could even wake her shishou up.

And so they had assembled at their previous location, with Mei standing there, clearly on-edge.

"My ANBU were found murdered just a few kilometers from a location where much devastation reaped the lands -evidence of a recent battle. Utakata is nowhere to be found."

Silence had filled the meeting room for a long time, until Sakura had finally decided to speak. "This seems to be concurrent to the information I have gathered." Sakura paused, saying what none other dared to. "He's been captured by Madara."

"And you know this with certainty?" A raised an eyebrow.

"Apart from the picture Mei just painted for us?" Sakura raised an eyebrow. "My informant just confirmed this with me, among other things. We have six days to get him back."

"Among other things?" The Tsuchikage pressed with a raised eyebrow.

"Among other things being information on Madara's army." Sakura sighed. "It has been brought to my attention that he's been making clones out of Zetsu, who has been infused with Hashirama's cells. Because of it, he has access to Wood Style techniques and has increased regenerative abilities."

"And how many should we be expecting quantity wise?" A asked calmly.

"A rough estimate of ten thousand."

The bomb that Sakura dropped left the entire room on edge, silent for several seconds.

"...Come again Sakura?" Surely, Tsunade hadn't heard right, right...?

Sakura couldn't help but sigh for what felt like the tenth time that minute. "So I've been told, their numbers are great, but their skill cap is not. He's making up for quality with the sheer size of his army."

"He's trying to overwhelm us to weaken our spirits." Kakashi mumbled, seemingly bored although this was just in his nature.

"Well he sure knows how to weaken our morale. How will our troops react seeing the sheer size of that army?" A wondered absent-mindedly. His men were strong no-doubt, and very strong-willed, but even the strongest of heart would feel discouraged by the size of his army.

"He's trying to split us up." It was Shikamaru who finally spoke after several minutes of simply listening in to what Sakura and the Kages had to say. "Going off of the premise that Madara feared us unifying under one," Shikamaru spoke, his eyes narrowed critically, "we are strongest united. If we wait for him to attack, he'll spread his forces throughout the nations, and we'll be too preoccupied fighting to defend our own homes to help one another out."

"So you're suggesting we bring the fight to him?" A stated impassively.

"Do we have any other choice?" Mei stated the obvious, agreeing with Shikamaru.

"No." Shikamaru admitted. "But his army will be a mere distraction; we know who his targets are." And as he said this, everyone's eyes turned to look at both Killer B, Gaara, and Naruto. "Presumably, they should either be kept hidden away, or where they will be safest."

"I am first and foremost a Kage. I will defend my people in the front line." Gaara dismissed this concern. "I am more than capable of protecting myself; and I believe the same to hold true for Naruto and Killer B" Gaara stated, knowing that Naruto would not just sit back and allow everyone else to fight while he was kept in protective custody.

"Absolutely not. I can understand you, Kazekage, but not B. Not Naruto. They have no duty to their village." A explained.

"But their strength will be needed for battle." the Tsuchikage reasoned.

"But if Madara gets his hands on them it's over." A stated. "We should never let that happen."

"I have the utmost faith that Naruto will be fine." Tsunade stated. "As it stands, he has just as much responsibility in this war. If he is to be my successor, then this is the time for him to make his stand. Naruto will join us in battle. You decide what you wish to do with A.

"I'm sorry," Sakura interrupted abruptly. "I know this is important and all, but Utakata has been captured. Are we just going to ignore this piece of information?" Sakura scowled. "We should be trying to figure out how to bring him back." Despite the fact that she herself wasn't even fond of the man, she wasn't about to let an innocent life get taken and just ignore it -she could not, would not.

"What would you have us do, Haruno?" A asked with a raised eyebrow. "We can't just all go to save him -us Kage's have a responsibility to unite our nations and sort out the hassle that this war entails."

"I'm sure between a few shinobi, maybe-"

"A is right." the Tsuchikage announced. "I will not send my shinobi out on a suicide mission to rescue a Jinchuuriki that might as well be dead already. He holds no real value to us; there are still three other bijuu left other than him." the Tsuchikage reasoned.

"That is my shinobi you are talking about as if he were so disposable, Onoki." Mei warned with a threatening glance his way. "I will not give up on my shinobi so easily. He put his trust in me to rebuild the reputation of Kirigakure. I will not abandon him like this." Mei stated.

"Mei is right. Having the last bijuu does not make him any less valuable. He is still a person." Sakura scowled.

"Even if you say this, sending yourself is uncalled for. And you're willing to put other shinobi at risk to go and save a man whose location you don't even know?" Tsunade reasoned with both Mei and Sakura simultaneously.

"I know where it's at."

None had expected the voice that had spoken, as they all simultaneously turned to stare at a rogue nin, blue in color, who had snuck in to the unsecured impromptu Kage Summit shortly after Sakura had entered.

"Kisame?"

"How did he get in here?" Clearly, Onoki and A felt threatened, to the point where they stood up tensely, waiting for the attack that would never come. And all the aids, safe for Tsunade's and Gaara's, seemed just about ready to attack the nin as well. "What is the meaning of this?"

"If I wanted to fight half of you would already be defeated." Kisame stared at particularly Mei's aids, a young little lad with teeth that resembled Kisame's own. He turned to look at Tsunade. "I offered my cooperation. Please. I am the only one who knows how to get there and how to not get caught." Then he turned to look at Mei. "Let me do this for the nation that I betrayed. It is the least that I can do to right my wrongdoings."

"But-" Mei was just about ready to deny Kisame, but was cut off.

"Let me go." Kisame ascertained with confidence. He could no longer take it, standing back and watching things develop from the side-lines. He was by no means a patient man, and he especially didn't do well with instructions, truth be told. This was a shinobi from his home country, taken by the man who had lied and betrayed Kisame for many, many years. In a way, Kisame was to blame for this, he couldn't help but think, and as such hearing of Utakata's capture had spurred within him the truest urge to actually do something selfless for a stranger he care naught for, and rescue him.

"And let you escape and realign yourself with Madara? No thank you." Onoki frowned.

Kisame couldn't help but scoff at this. "If I wanted to realign myself with Madara, I would have done it long ago. I'm not exactly held captive here." Kisame reasoned. There were no shackles on his being, no chakra limitors or guards restricting his movement; he only had to make sure to be unseen by villagers, and the likes of Danzo, who Sakura and Itachi had expressly warned him about.

"Even if I allowed such a thing, you alone would not be able to recover Utakata, given that you can even get to him on time."

Sakura blinked; twice, thrice. "Then let me go as well." Kisame turned to look at her, a small nod of thanks sent her way.

"Sakura, that man is after your head, are you mad?" Tsunade glared.

"Well, nobody else here trusts him to go alone. I fully trust Kisame in this; as such, I don't see any other choice." Sakura reasoned.

"The Haruno is right. Although you may trust him, we do not, and we want to make sure Kisame does not realign with Madara." A stated, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Saki and I apprehended him last time. We shall go as well, then." Kakashi spoke up at long last, knowing that with this, neither Mei nor the other Kages could complain. Plus, if Tsunade was worried of anything happening to Sakura, Kakashi was just about as much assurance as Tsunade would need that she would be safe.

Tsunade thought this through seriously, her chin resting on her hands. She didn't want anyone going to the lair of Akatsuki -especially not Sakura without a skilled pair of Sharingan eyes; knowing Kakashi was going was alleviating in some aspects, but she knew this alone would not be enough to stop Madara if he truly set his sights on Sakura. "You will take Uchiha Itachi with you, or none of you go at all. You know damn well why I say this." her eyes narrowed at Sakura. Three Mangekyou eyes were better than one, after all.

"Hai, shishou." Sakura stated with a bow, a sort of thank you for even allowing such a crazy idea. But she knew that for Kisame to have snuck into the meeting meant that he felt very passionate about this decision: with or without a team, and with or without the consent of either Mei or Tsunade, he would go, even if it meant the end of him.

"Kakashi, I'm assigning you as leader. Leave whenever you think it best." Tsunade muttered, already feeling a headache coming in.

"And while they do this, we will mobilize our troops. Madara will take this as a sign that we are not messing around. He will lash out." Shikamaru reasoned. "Given that they all come back in one piece, that is." As terrible as it sounded, they had to face the harsh reality that there was a chance some, if not all, wouldn't make it back. This was war now; there was no going back.

"And we will be ready for them." A stated. "It looks like we have our work cut out for us." He sighed.

* * *

The base was quiet, a tense atmosphere at every corner. It was dusk when there was finally a sound, one man with an orange mask emerging from the shadows with an unconscious shinobi tossed over his shoulder.

But his demeanor was not at all as bubbly or exuberant as it typically was when in the base: truth be told, there was only one person in this base who believed that charade, and he was beginning to become impatient; he had neither the time nor energy to keep it up much longer.

He marched right over to Konan's room and knocked once. He didn't wait long before she emerged, greeting him with a small nod.

"Gather of Pein and Deidara. We're starting the extractions process immediately."

Konan didn't reply as Tobi turned around and walked away, clearly set on going towards the chamber in which they would began to absorb the bijuu.

Wordlessly, she waited until she knew Tobi would not be coming back, and then she marched her way to Deidara's room, giving two knocks and waiting patiently. Once he finally emerged, looking as if he hadn't slept much (because in truth he hadn't), Konan parted her lips to speak. "Tobi has returned. He wishes for us to start the extraction now."

Deidara didn't say a word about their deal, lest Tobi was somehow able to hear them, although the look he gave Konan said all it needed to. Regardless, he simply nodded and began walking alongside Konan, knowing that she got the message.

He wanted out.

_Now._

Halfway through their walk, Konan finally acknowledged him, a relief to Deidara's inner calm. "The extraction process will take about six days." She stated casually at first, before her voice got lower and became nothing more than a whisper. "Halfway through the extractions process, there will be an interruption. You will use this as a means of your escape, and you will run and not turn back. Do you understand?"

Deidara's eyes narrowed. "Hai, un."

* * *

Team Kakashi had waited until dawn before setting out on the S-Class mission, the first in a long time assigned to Itachi from his original home. It was odd, to say the least, even if this was clearly off the record.

Their pace was speedy, knowing it would take them nearly three days just to reach Ame -nearly half the given time-frame to saving Utakata (and not to mention it would take three to get back, which could be detrimental to Utakata's health, seeing as he'd be on the verge of dying if they didn't hurry). The first night out they had stopped at a hotel, getting two rooms with two beds each; Sayuri and Sakura were forced to share a bed while Kakashi took the other, and Kisame and Itachi shared their own room (even if Kisame had teasingly suggested that he and Sakura bunk, although he couldn't fathom why Itachi seemed to flinch at the mention).

The second night they had camped out, being in the middle of nowhere, as they began planning how they would hopefully enter, quickly snag Utakata, and then flee before Madara had any time to react.

"He will not be expecting a surprise attack, which will prove advantageous. Kisame, Kakashi and myself should distract Madara and Sakura and Sayuri should use this opportunity to seize Utakata." Itachi reasoned. "Considering he will need medical attention, one of you two should remain by his side at all times." he stared pointedly at Sakura and Sayuri. "Fighting him is not an option." Although it seemed idiotic to say (for Kami's sake, it was five versus one, what was the harm?), all it did was attest to Madara's fighting prowess. Who even knew if any of them were strong enough to defeat him; even combined they probably didn't stand a chance.

"And what if we can't avoid the fight?

"Then we do our best to disengage." Kisame sighed, his eyes focused on the fire before him as he pocked and prodded it with a stick. "We know who his target is. We don't want to risk it." As he said this, he sort of indicated to the pink Haruno heir beside him with the stick. "I'd say you're the only person to have fought him and come out alive." Kisame mumbled.

"I would hardly constitute that as fighting and living; I was lucky." Sakura stated. Had it not been for Kikyou's intervention, she definitely wouldn't be standing here right now -and had it not been Itachi, it would have most definitely been Madara who had done away with her, that's for sure. Nevertheless, these were never pleasant memories to recall (Itachi had tried to kill her, for Kami's sake) and as such she stood up and stretched. "But this is irrelevant. We have a general idea of what we want to do, but we'll have to play it by ear. We don't know the full extent of Madara's power, after all." As she said this she turned around and walked towards her tent. "We should leave early tomorrow morning."

Although none had responded, it has been a consensus among the camp that Sakura had the right idea. This would be one of their deadliest missions yet, going up against a shinobi renown across the Shinobi Lands. They needed as much sleep as they could get, as energized and acute as possible, lest they get caught up in Madara's mind games.

Without so much as another comment other than "Good night." respectively, Itachi poured water onto the fire and stood up. "My crows will alert me of any signs of danger during the night." This way, none would have to stay up for night duty, at least.

* * *

"The cave will be just another ten kilometers westward from here." Kisame notified the team. They had stopped for a small break, and right around this time they finally began to prepare for battle, both physically and mentally. Kakashi was already pulling down his mask to reveal his second, half-marred eye, not yet donning the ever so taxing Sharingan. Kisame unwrapped his sword, shifting it in place to become more easily accessible, and Sayuri and Sakura respectively turned on their Hanabira-me. "We won't stop; we'll go straight it, lest he discovers our presence while we are preparing." Kisame stated seriously.

Sakura nodded; this seemed like the best course of action.

And without so much as another word, they all rushed forward, their chakra signatures hidden to perfection, adrenaline already coursing through their bodies.

_This is it._

The stealthy run to the indicated mountain-like structure was easy enough, And with a steady point at the best form of entrance by Itachi, they began a formation: Sakura and Itachi in the front, followed by Itachi and Kisame, and Sayuri drawing up the rear.

It all happened in the blink of an eye, Sakura and Kakashi simultaneously creating a great explosion around them with her strength and one of his most potent Chidori attacks respectively. A clear hole was made, and as debris began to fill the air, they shuffled in using the dust in the air. Within the next second They split up into two groups, Sakura with Kisame and Itachi with Sayuri and Kakashi, splitting into two separate directions from the blast. Kisame and Itachi took this opportunity to hurl their respective techniques towards the hodded figures standing on the fingers, clearly a distraction, while Kakashi rushed over to a discreet corner of the room and activated his Mangekyou.

A second explosion followed the first, but within the blink of an eye Utakata was no longer surrounded by the glowing blue mass of chakra in the center of the room, but was now well within Kakashi's arms, Sayuri already there with her lilies wrapping protectively around his body.

A strong gust of wind followed, though it wasn't made by any of them, and Sakura turned just in time to see a clay bird shoot right past them and out of the hole, a clear, identifiable figure of Deidara riding it to freedom.

Deidara had wasted no time: this had to be what Konan had referred to, and as he flew away he caught sight of the kunoichi for the briefest of moments before she puffed away. _'A clone, un.' _She had created a clone with enough chakra to survive three days of the extraction process? They must have planned this extensively, he couldn't help but think -not that he actually cared though. But once he was safely out of the cave and inevitably out of harms way, he couldn't help but turn around and stare at the scene before him, both Kisame and Itachi trying to create some sort of distraction as the Copy Cat-nin used it to recapture Utakata. Clearly, Kisame was not dead, nor had Itachi attacked him even remotely so. Had Konan lied to him on purpose? Had she known all alone that they were actually not working together with that pink-haired kunoichi? And what was Konan's part in all of this? _'What the hell is going on, un?'_

* * *

There was pure chaos in the small cave, particularly because of the strong impact of Kisame's joint attack with Sakura's insurmountable strength. Sayuri's hands began to glow green as she inspected Utakata's health. "He's alive, but in desperate need of medical attention. His heart is faltering, among the severe organ damage he obtained perhaps while getting caught." Although she was not much of a medic, basic understanding of her lineage forced her to be well knowledgeable of the human anatomy, seeing as the Haruno Clan was renown for their healing abilities. As such, it was no coincidence that she decided to take medical classes to fully bring forth the potency of her techniques. "I can stabilize him for the time being, but he'll need to have direct contact with my lilies until he gets medical attention." And as she said this, the lilies seemed to penetrate his skin, particularly over his chest, although it seemed that Utakata either didn't feel it, or had no strength to flinch, although Sayuri couldn't quite tell if he was even conscious and capable of any real thought. She could help with the issues to his cardiac muscle, but Sakura would have to get her hands on him for anything else.

"We'll waste no time then." Kakashi stated seriously. And so they turned to leave, only to find themselves face to face with Madara, standing just a mete away from them.

"Where do you think you're going?" But even as he said this, he knew something was terribly, terribly wrong. With just one glance he could tell that Deidara had vanished through the gaping hole in the cave -there seemed to be no indication of him coming back, not to mention, not that he could fathom why, pray tell, this would be the case. And despite Nagato and being a mere illusion, Konan had not been but a clone in her stead had disappeared almost immediately after the explosion. Yet, he knew he had his answer because there was no way they should have known that they were in the midst of an extraction process without being told as such, and that there would be no one to back him up in this battle.

_It looked like he could truly not continue his operations here._

Kakashi stood in front of Sayuri and Utakata protectively, but at that moment, the remainder of his team seemed to surround Madara, almost as if they planned on pouncing -of which he knew they wouldn't though.

And so there Madara stood in silence, not at all even remotely afraid of what would happen -he simply continued to assess his possible moves, noticing Kakashi's Mangekyou on and ablaze as he stood protectively in front of a clearly Haruno brat aiding the Jinchuuriki, and Itachi's own doing the same, standing very protectively in front of the Haruno heir with Kisame just a way's away, staring directly at Tobi's feet.

"I'm not at all surprised to see you a traitor Itachi, but I hadn't quite expected you to be one, Kisame. You were my most faithful follower." he lamented slightly. Kisame didn't respond -frankly, this man didn't deserve his words, although he did emit a grunt of indifference. "Although surprised at your actions, I can't help but wonder what it is you guys think you will do from here on out. You've recaptured the Jinchuuriki -what now?"

Sakura's golden eyes glanced at the blatant opening in the cave that they had created, although a barrier type jutsu was clearly erected, although none had seen Madara act, not that Sakura was surprised at all. _'Only a Space-Time Jutsu will be able to get past that...' _She glanced at Kakashi, knowing him to be the only one capable of such an ability right now -and there was no way he had enough strength to transport each and everyone one of them. She could technically do the same with her contract with the cherry blossoms, but it would only help herself, not the remainder of the people that would be trapped within the barrier. She had no choice but to stay and fight if it came to it, she decided.

But first and foremost was the protection of Utakata, and afterwards they could figure out the rest, she reasoned. Within an instance, as if they had been psychically linked, the group reunited in order to cover any holes in their defense. "Kakashi, you need to get Utakata and Sayuri out of here. Without her, he won't last much longer." She could tell just by glancing at her lilies that they were his lifeline, because she couldn't stop to heal him right now -not until they were several dozens of kilometers away from Madara and safely in Fire Nation territory, at least.

"And if we separate neither will we." Kisame countered. Their strength was in numbers -if they broke apart it would only further open up holes in their defense.

"We don't have much of a choice." Kakashi muttered, glancing at his teammates for the briefest of moments.

"Is there any other way of breaking his seal?" Sayuri muttered, a bead of sweat sliding down her forehead.

"Only brute force." Itachi stated, glancing at the barrier momentarily. Truth be told, he hadn't expected anything less from Madara.

"Then we'll try all at once. Our strongest attacks..." Surely, between her inhuman strength, Kakashi's chidori, and the joint attacks of Kisame and Itachi would be enough, right?

It all happened in an instance. One moment they were standing there, and the next Madara attacked from seemingly all directions. Kakashi was quick to use his Kamui to teleport first Utakata and afterwards Sayuri out of the immediate area, leaving Sakura, Kisame, and Itachi alone momentarily. It would take him at least ten more minutes before he would be able to use it again, and unfortunately until that time came, he was stuck outside the barrier with Sayuri and Utakata. Madara disappeared, although all three shinobi could clearly identify his presence underground, Kisame immediately getting to work at dispelling the fire jutsu's as Sakura erected a cherry blossom to deflect the shuriken and kunai assaulting them from their blind spot.

But then roots emerged from the ground, roots not her own (which clearly took Sakura aback), as it latched onto Sakura's ankles as two more appeared, both sharp in nature aiming straight for her chest. But Itachi already a distance away, simultaneously engaging with his own offensive attack, dismembered the roots that held Sakura in place with a couple of his own shuriken, quick enough for Sakura to duck and distance herself away from the roots before they impaled her.

But this seemed to be a mere distraction as Madara emerged, in fact right in front of her. _'So fast.' _her eyes widened in fright, remembering her battle with Madara during their first encounter, and looking around to notice that he had successfully split them up. A punch in her gut, one stronger than she would have liked to give him credit for, had her double over in pain, although she did her best to counter this with her cherry blossoms.

He seemed to have expected this, for even if the roots attempted to stab him from behind, they instead went through him and were it not for their own conscious, they would have ripped right through Sakura. They zoomed around her figure to where Madara was now standing, and already there was another string of shuriken appearing from his eye at a speed unmatched.

She back-flipped several times to increase the distance between her and the Uchiha while simultaneously throwing her own weapons to deflect them, but even this seemed but a fleeting escape from the Uchiha who seemed to be nowhere and everywhere all at once, simultaneously keeping Kisame and Itachi busy, and attacking her with the intent to kill. He appeared before her once more, and even as she attempted a round-house kick to his mid-section, it fizzed right past him but made concrete impact with that of Madara's hand, tightly grasping her ankle, as he threw her off balance and twisted her ankle. She had no choice but to follow him, her second foot kicking off the floor as she attempted to twirl into another kick. "Foolish kunoichi. If this did not work the first time, what makes you think it'll work the second time?" Clearly, he was referencing their battle over a decade ago.

All at once roots not her own emerged beside her as her cherry blossom tree attempted to aid her, although it found itself overwhelmed by the same Wood Style technique. They slammed her to the ground and rooted her hands down, Madara still holding on tightly to her legs. Before he could attempt anything else, Itachi was once more alongside them, this time engaging in some semblance of taijutsu to distract Madara long enough to release her and for Sakura to unchain herself from the roots, courtesy of a little inhuman strength.

The earth beneath her trembled, the impact of her stomp made, as Sakura quickly jumped up and watched as, yet again, Madara become intangible, this time due to a water dragon sent his way, courtesy of Kisame. But it seemed that the quake had him temporarily lose his balance, enough so that it gave Itachi enough time to jump back and stand alongside Sakura. "We cannot defeat him."

"I'm not trying to." Sakura frowned. In her defense, he was the one that came onto her, alright? "Let's hurry up and bust this wall." And so she turned, her eyes dead set on the barrier she could just barely make out with her Hanabira-me, and so with one last breath, she charged toward the wall, putting all of the strength she could muster into one blow.

"You're a pesky little kunoichi, aren't you?" She heard his voice before actually seeing him as he was suddenly warped right alongside her. He grabbed her wrist with one hand and throat with the other, successfully rendering Sakura's attack useless, his force brutal enough to stop the flow of air into Sakura's throat. She tried to use his tangible body as leverage, but upon attempting to pool chakra into her hands she found it being sucked right from her body. _'What the-' _Her eyes widened in exasperation, not missing the red glow of his Sharingan eye from her close proximity to him. And just as Sakura began to see her eyesight fleeting, the world around her seemed to spin, almost as if she were in a vacuum (although she wasn't entirely sure if this was because of her lack of oxygen or something that he was doing), spinning into a never-ending-

_'Shannaro-!' _No. In fact, she was, and she could do nothing but stare at Itachi's figure as it appeared alongside her before she was in another world altogether, seemingly within Madara's right eye socket and temporarily knocked unconscious.

* * *

"Were you thinking about using her strength to create a hole in my barrier?" Madara seemed to sneer. "Think again. I'll enjoy defeating you two and afterwards making you watch as I do what you should have done to her a decade ago, Itachi."

There seemed to be a sense of panic in the duo, especially within Itachi, his eyes narrowed.

_Where had he taken Sakura?_

He shifted uncomfortably, never before having seen this technique. _'And why is it so like Kakashi's...' _his thought went unanswered as movement ensued, Kakashi having finally appeared inside the dome to aid them in their quest. Ever since he had been reintroduced to Sakura months ago, there hadn't been a time she was out of his sight or watchful eye (to an extent, of course), but now she was gone, in the midst of battle, and he had not a clue to her whereabouts. Her chakra signature had completely vanished, off the face of the planet, it seemed, and the more he thought this the angrier he got.

_He had taken her from him once before, and he'd be damned if he let it happen a second time._

He unleashed a barrage of attacks that took even Kisame aback, forcing Kisame and Kakashi to stay alongside him to watch on and hope for an opening, knowing that if they intervened now they would only be hurt in the crossfire.

"A little upset are we?" Madara mocked, taking enjoyment in seeing Itachi's face, normally collected, now contorted into something akin to murderous intent.

Itachi did not respond, although his actions spoke more than necessary as his Sharingan eyes developed further into the Mangekyou. "You will release her." But even if he said this, his eyes glanced towards Kakashi, as if pondering something. "May I ask the workings of your Kamui?"

Kakashi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Itachi's statement. Now, of all times? "If you must."

* * *

There was a pounding in her head and a ringing in her ear when she came to, her hand instinctively going towards her throat to heal the bruise she knew she must have garnered to her pharynx.

_'Where am I?' _Clearly this was not the Shinobi World she knew and so desperately loved right about now. In fact, if she had to compare this to anything she had ever seen, it perhaps resembled Matsuro-sama's dimension more than it did her own. She sat up, groggy and in a daze, as she attempted to recollect her thoughts and previous determination.

How would she get out of here? Perhaps this would have proved easier if Matsuro had still been with her, and right about now she began to wish she had never sent Matsuro to be resealed within the scroll in her room. But now was no time to ponder this, as suddenly something appeared before her, something not entirely human but...

_'Is that Madara?' _At least it was part of him, an arm, part of his midsection and a leg, but it was gone within the next second. And then once more, except this time it was a hand, what should be his chest cavity, and some section of what seemed to be a thigh, and it dawned on Sakura, why he was seemingly intangible.

Surely, she wasn't the only one figuring this out now, right? Perhaps Itachi had already caught on... surely he had, meaning that he was waiting on her, and with this thought in mind, she gripped onto her glove and focused on the next appearance of Madara.

* * *

From Sayuri's place outside of the barrier, all she could do was watch on in horror, and even frustration for not being able to do anything, but unfortunately, it was taking most of her focus just to keep sending cardiac glycosides to Utakata without harming his myocardium -of which she couldn't keep up much longer without Sakura's healing abilities, not to mention.

But by the way that something glimmered and hit her in the eye, clearly a reflection, she noticed that she had company as well, a lone shinobi with long blonde hair hovering high up in the air watching the same engagement she was. He seemed of no real threat, having noticed the way in which he fled the scene before a fight even broke out (the sole reason why he hadn't gotten caught inside).

Could he perhaps be of use? It seemed that she was not the only one with this idea, making direct eye contact with Itachi, who proceeded to glance at Deidara and then back at her. An unspoken conversation seemed to occur between them, as Sayuri nodded in understanding and created a clone to watch over Utakata.

It was time to talk business with Akatsuki -and by talk, she clearly meant talk with her fists if Deidara proved unyielding to her argument. And just as she was wondering on how exactly to capture his attention, she noticed movement elsewhere, a kunoichi appearing beside her, although she seemed of no imminent threat. "Konan." Sayuri greeted seriously.

"Are they trapped inside?" Konan didn't wait for formal introductions.

"Hai. Madara has captured Sakura, although none are entirely sure in what. Regardless, we need to find a way to break that barrier seal in order to aid them in their escape. I was thinking maybe his bombs would do the trick." and as she stated this, she inclined her head upwards, to where Deidara had shifted his attention from the battle inside the cave to Konan conversing with the Haruno.

Clearly, Konan had some explaining to do.

"Leave him to me. I'll prepare you guys for a quick exit."

Sayuri nodded slightly. "Get her out of there." she suddenly spoke very seriously, in a manner that nearly took Konan aback. She simply nodded in response, and seconds afterwards disappeared. Regardless of her less than friendly first opinions of Sakura during their first introductions, she had grown to see a maturity and strength within Sakura than even she was jealous of. Perhaps it had been seeing Sakura as an eighteen year old a decade ago, or perhaps it had been feeling a connection deeply rooted within her to Sakura when they had done the Haruno Clan ritual, but something had made Sayuri vow to protect Sakura, and she would be damned if she could only sit by and watch her heir be killed before her very eyes.

* * *

Even if Itachi's plan made some semblance of sense to either Kisame or Kakashi, how could they even be so sure that Sakura had caught on and was even physically capable of fighting back from where in the hell she currently was (if she truly was in some sort of different dimension, that is)? Nevertheless, they truly had no choice but to trust in her, although this seemed to be the least of Itachi's concerns.

He had faith in her, after all.

He had had time to analyze the mechanics of Madara's fighting style, and not to mention the inner workings of the seemingly impenetrable technique of his, and knew that there must be some sort of weakness to it -no jutsu was flawless, after all. Wherever he had sent Sakura, he had a feeling that this was where he was going in order to become intangible, which led to the possibility that it wasn't really intangibility, but more so a movement and reassortment of body parts.

And naturally, wherever he had moved them, must be where they were truly vulnerable.

Their joint attacks seemed to not faze him in the slightest, at least not for ten minutes, until the point that at a time where Kisame's Sameheda should have penetrated his midsection. He seemed largely unaffected for several seconds until his body tensed, an indication of some sort of pain, although it would have been evident if it had been Kisame's doing. He dropped to his knees, the sword more or less now somewhere within his face, and through this Madara was now able to see the kunoichi in the dimension of his kamui, a punch decidedly aiming straight for his face with a loud _"I'll kill you, you bastard..._ _Shannaro_...!" to top it all off -a punch he knew would prove deadly if he stuck around, and as such Sakura was once more sucked right up and this time dispensed back into her world, a punch now more or less aimed straight at Itachi with just a few seconds to react. Within a moment's notice she cut off the chakra pooling at her fist, Itachi all too quickly disarming her by doing a knife hand block at the inside joint in between her humerus and ulna and simultaneously tripping her, forcing her arm to buck inwards and her small body to collide onto his. He steadied her and within a moment's notice she was being picked up in a fashion that had her confused because _what the hell was going on?_

"You bitch." Madara seemed, for the first time, thoroughly pissed and caught off guard, although he used Sakura's and Itachi's current imbalance to hurl at them a close range fire jutsu, one enormous enough which made both Kisame and Kakashi step back several meters in order to not be caught up in the cross fire.

Sakura's eyes widened in horror for a fraction of a second before they closed shut -not even her cherry blossom tree could save them from this. Subsequently, she heard the explosion and could feel the pulse of pressure around her, could feel Itachi's grip on her tighten, but felt no semblance of pain as debris filled the air. But once it finally cleared she found herself entrapped within Itachi's Susanoo, further protected by tree branches wrapping themselves protectively against its armor and shield, to further boost the defensive stats of his red glowing contract.

"Sakura. The barrier." His voice was enough to snap her out of her daze, as she looked up at him. At that moment, he released her and with a nod she went rushing towards the wall, still well within the confines of the Susanoo. It extended its fist, Sakura seemingly walking on it although this was courtesy of her roots giving her a pathway, where she could already see Sayuri, Konan, and Deidara beginning their own attacks.

Susanoo's fist made solid impact with the barrier the moment Sakura's own fist did, and on the other side they could clearly see Konan and Deidara doing their respective bombing techniques, and with a powerful pulse that knocked Sakura off of her feet, the barrier was suddenly broken.

She was left in a free fall, one which she could have gotten herself out of, but suddenly she found herself in the arms of Kakashi. She questioned it not, as suddenly the cave began to cave in, and Kisame simultaneously released a shrouding mist technique, enclosing the cave in an unseeable mist.

So in the arms of her mentor, Sakura watched as Itachi's glowing Susanoo turned its attention towards Madara, giving them enough leeway to retreat without giving him any time to react.

The moment they stepped out of the cave Sakura couldn't help but take into account the massive size of the giant clay bird awaiting them, Sayuri, Konan, Deidara, and Utakata's unconscious body already laying in wait.

"Hurry up, un. If I die today because of you guys I will haunt you all I swear to Kami, yeah."

They needed no reminding of the dangerous nin just steps behind them. Itachi was the last to jump upon the bird, and with a strong gust of wind, suddenly they were in the air, Kakashi and Kisame simultaneously hurling water and electric style techniques respectively towards the cave as a means of securing their escape. It took them about five minutes of flying in silence, all of them clearly still tense, until any of them felt like they could let out a sigh of relief.

For now, they were safe.

It seemed that Deidara would be the first to break this silence with an aggravated sigh, "Don't expect my help ever again, you hear, un?" Clearly he was irritated, although none could blame him, but after his comment he couldn't help but shift uncomfortably as he stared at the people currently riding his bird. Three Akatsuki members (other than him), Three Konoha Shinobi, and a Kirigakure Jinchuuriki. Not the most common of company, he had to agree. "I would ask for an explanation to this madness, but I am likened to agree with you Konan; the less I know will perhaps be the best, un." And so he turned away from all of them indignantly. "I will drop you guys off at the borders of the Fire Country and no further, un."

Sakura sighed in relief, and afterwards let out a small smile. "Arigatou." She didn't know what had led the nin to act as he did, but she was sure that had it not been for him, they would perhaps not have escaped as cleanly as they just had. For that, they owed Deidara greatly.

"Sakura, help me out with Utakata, onegai. I can only do so much." Sakura's thoughts were interrupted by Sayuri, who was kneeling before Utakata, her hands glowing green. She was hardly capable at medical ninjutsu, and it would certainly not be enough to stall until Tsunade was able to get her hands on him. "I had enough foresight to grab some of Marika's sedatives before we left, if it helps."

Sakura nodded -Sayuri had always been a quick thinker. "It will, arigatou." And so she approached Sayuri and Sakura properly assessed his condition, although just by looking at the tattered, bloody remain of his clothing, she could tell that the extraction might perhaps be the least of his concerns. "Although your lilies are helping, it won't be enough. We're looking at potential liver kidney and liver failure; his heart is also compromised, and this is just from the extraction process. He has multiple lacerations across his body, a few deep enough to have grazed his vital organs. We're looking at possible intestinal and kidney damage and a bruised sternum, A few broken ribs, but it doesn't seem to have punctured his lungs." But despite this, his chakra reserves were running dangerously low -she could easily tell that all of his was gone, and he was holding on by a thread, grasping onto life using the bijuu within him.

And so she did what she could, and began pumping her own chakra into him -if what Kikyou and Matsuro had told her about the Tailed Beasts was right, they shouldn't react too violently to her foreign chakra.

"How are we to transport him once we reach the borders of the the Land of Fire?" Kisame asked -not that he wasn't grateful to Deidara already, but they would still be half a day's travel time from Konoha once Deidara had dropped them off. Perhaps longer because they would be stalled, and not to mention it was nearing nightfall. Darkness would be upon them, and it would be risky business to travel in the dead of night.

"Katsuyu will be able to do so just fine." Sakura nodded. Plus, it helped that she would be able to simultaneously heal Utakata whilst they travel, too. "I should be done stabilizing his condition by the time we land. We should be safe to stop there momentarily for a small break if need be."

"Hai"

"Hn"

* * *

As Deidara had promised, he had landed carefully by the border, giving them time to ease Utakata down to the ground. And after they were all off his clay bird, he sort of just stared at the group of shinobi one last time -this might perhaps be the last time he would see them. "I guess I should get going now, un." he shifted uncomfortably on his bird.

Sakura smiled. "Hai. Arigatou Deidara-san. We owe you one, if you ever need it." she gave a small bow of gratitude towards the man, and then turned to once more attend to Utakata, Sayuri taking up a similar action.

The four ex-Akatsuki members turned to look at each other. With a bow of gratitude, Konan gave a small smile. "Be safe, Deidara."

Deidara gave a nod, shifting his attention to Kisame. "It's been a pleasure working with you, Deidara." Kisame nodded in recognition at the nuke-nin, who agreed with Kisame and finally allowed his eyes to rest on Itachi -his rival, so to speak.

"...You have my thanks." Itachi finally stated seriously after several seconds of silence. He was never one to owe favors to anyone, but there seemed to be an unspoken truce between him and the blonde arsonist. A mutual sign of respect perhaps, but Deidara could tell that Itachi earnestly meant it, and it swelled pride within him for some unknown reason.

"You should lay low for a while. Madara may have it out for you for helping us." Konan stated.

"Hai, hai." Deidara had a dismissive, unconcerned face expression. "I think he'll be too focused on killing you all to worry about me, un."

And it was true. They had all literally just placed targets on their heads with this mission. "I guess you're right." Konan smile slightly. "I wish you the best, Deidara." It was the last thing spoken between the two former Akatsuki members, and with this Deidara's clay bird finally flapped its wings for take-off, hovering slightly above the floor. With one last look he rose the the sky, and as he flew away, he allowed one more action to be seen, tossing his ring to the floor, and then releasing his cloak to fly in the wind and eventually fall to the floor some distance away from Team Kakashi.

Once Deidara had left, a somewhat strange silence had settled over the team, although this was not to mean that they felt awkward or tense. Sakura and Sayuri were simply too busy working on the Jinchuuriki, and neither Kakashi nor Itachi were exactly the talkative type.

Knowing that Sakura and Sayuri would want a break so as to not uffer from exhaustion or over-exertion, they decided to allow them a small rest. They set up a small perimeter, Kisame patrolling the area, Sayuri and Konan helping Sakura, and Kakashi sending Tsunade a message with the aid of Itachi's crow.

* * *

After Utakata had been as stabilized as he could get without medical equipment, Sakura sat down by a nearby tree in a tired and contemplative fashion, thinking of the events that had conspired today.

If there was anything good that came out of this, other than saving Utakata, it was that they now had an edge over Madara in this war.

He was not invincible, and all of them there could attest to that. And with a renewed sense of hope, Sakura looked onwards towards the direction of Konoha.

They would be victorious in this war. She was snapped out of her train of thoughts by Konan, who came to sit by her. "It seems like all went as planned, Sakura-sama." she began casually.

Sakura smiled. "Hai. I'm glad I could count on you for this, Konan. Arigatou." Truly, Sakura had never expected for things to unravel in this manner, but she was glad that they did. "I suppose you'll be returning to Nagato's side, now." Sakura surmised. "He is no longer in Ame, right?" She could only expect that Konan had moved him elsewhere, having had time beforehand to do so.

"Hai. I relocated him elsewhere in fear that Madara would try to claim his Rinnegan. I need to make sure he is safe."

Sakura nodded -she couldn't expect anything else, truth be told, knowing how Konan felt about the man. "Once you're done with this, please return to the Haruno Compound. We have much to discuss.

"Of course." Konan nodded, as she stood and began to walk away.

"Send Nagato my greetings. Tell him I am glad that he came around." Sakura stated casually.

Konan paused briefly, but continued after Sakura's comment. "Hai." She walked towards the remaining Akatsuki members and Konoha-nin respectively, said her goodbyes, and was once more on her way, northward of their direction.

* * *

All the Kages' had been beyond tense the days following the Utakata Retrieval Mission, if not because they had sent some of the most elite shinobi to rescue him (and if they failed, then they had lost men and women detrimental to this war), then because they had had to declare to their respective nations that they were at war -an act that never proved easy.

But their shinobis had taken the news relatively well, especially in knowing that they would not be fighting amongst each other. In fact, this would be the first war ever recorded in history where they would all be coming together to fight against one common enemy: Akatsuki, although it could hardly be called an organization with only two men left standing.

Combining their armies would have taken too long as far as relations went, and because they were quickly running out of time, Shikamaru had instead devised a plan that would ensure safety at all fronts and allow everyone to fight to their fullest potential. "We want to surround his army before they have a chance to move." Shikamaru declared, a large map displayed before him. "Thanks to Sakura's intel, we have narrowed down the location of his army here." And so he pointed to a large peninsula on the map. "We are lucky that this means they face a body of water in three out of the four directions his army can travel, which means that we can suppress it and make sure he doesn't spread to the villages, although we should keep it an option that he can somehow cross it into one of the smaller villages. As such, Takigakure, Otogakure, Yugakure, and Shimogakure run a potential risk."

"But why does this matter if we make sure we cut him off?" Onoki asked.

"Well, there wouldn't typically be a problem; it would just be a matter of speaking to the Daimyos' of those lands and asking for their cooperation. But as we know, Otogakure is Orochimaru land; we have no jurisdiction there, and he is not at all likely to help. As such, we run a risk. If Orochimaru is working with Madara and he can somehow sneak his army in through there, then we're looking at an out-pour of thousands of clones. Other than those small villages I just mentioned, Kumo, Iwa, and Konoha run a risk of being attacked at our home-front and even our armies may be potentially sandwiched and attacked from behind; clearly, something we want to try and avoid if possible." Shikamaru stated.

"Hai. So how do you suppose we go about this?" Mei stated, impressed by how well Shikamaru had thought this through in such a small amount of time.

"Other than the troops we should clearly have assembled here," he pointed to the map, the only entrance and exit out of the Mountain's Graveyard, "we should have a smaller amount of troops to the east and southwest here, with a heavier concentration to the east, and to the southeastern part of the peninsula, because Madara is most likely to try and sneak his way from there. These are the four quintessential posts, if you will. I believe that for the most part, we should be fine keeping our troops separate, although there should be some mixing of shinobi, in particular for leaders and analysts. If we spread out or troops and spread out our Kages' accordingly, we can eliminate the Zetsu army early on and be able to focus on the imminent threat of Madara after his army has been crushed. As such, I propose the following."

And as Shikamaru stated this, he handed each Kage a paper with a description of his plan.

"The Western part of the peninsula should be primarily watched over by Iwa, seeing as your army is closer to this location. Tsuchikage-sama, you will be in charge of controlling your troops and pushing forward, forcing them to push elsewhere. I believe that Shino would be an adequate analyst for this location, given that we fill him in beforehand. This should be the first and most abrupt step in the war, to push them to where we want them to go." Shikamaru stated. "From there onwards, they will have three choices: to try their luck at crossing the sea from the east, or two pathways; either south-west, or south-east."

"And of the North?" Tsunade questioned with a raised eyebrow,

Shikamaru nodded. "I will get to that." he put this comment on pause. "The South I believe would be best handled by the joint armies of Gaara on the western portion, and Mei on the eastern, although they should come together in the middle. In this way, Gaara has the aid of Mei with Onoki not too far away in case Madara tries to come for his Tailed Beast first. Because this is the most likely first path of Madara's army, we should have a bigger army here, as well as more analysts. Temari has shown her prowess for these sorts of situations -I believe she alongside Otou-san can and will effortlessly lead us to victory here." Shikamaru stated, pausing briefly to glance at Temari, before returning to his plan.

"Finally, the east will be comprised of Konoha and Kumo, with Tsunade being the leading Kage here. I may remain the analyse here, if so need be."

"And of myself?"A asked.

"You, Raikage-sama," Shikamaru paused, "are perhaps the most notable Kage here, with perhaps the most brute force and fighting prowess. I believe that perhaps you should prioritize protecting Killer Bee and Naruto. We know whose Madara's true targets are. Although I do believe they should part take in the war effort, I believe we should wait until Madara exhausts his options, and then let them go in. They are perhaps the biggest weapons we have against Madara, after all. As such, you should be in a hideout close enough to the battlefront to aid if need be, but far enough to stay in hiding. A location between Tsunade's forces and Mei's own, as I have deduced."

A scratched his beard, intrigued at Shikamaru's train of thought.

"And of Utakata?" Mei asked.

Shikamaru hesitated. "Well, if... if he survives the extraction process and is brought back safely, he will be the weakest of the four bijuu to capture. He'll also have to be guarded, and I believe this should also be done by the Raikage, but with aids. People who can heal if need be, but are also adept fighters. The first thoughts that came to mind at this was Shizune, Ino, and Sayuri."

Tsunade nodded, understanding Shikamaru's thinking. Although it was dangerous to put all the Jinchuuriki, save Gaara in one location, they would be close enough where both Mei and Tsunade would be able to intervene if need be. "And now what of the North?" she repeated once more.

"The north," Shikamaru sighed, "is the furthest location from any of us, and holds almost no value to Madara as far as a strategy plan goes. As such, more than likely, it will have little to no army to defend it, and we know it to be the closest location to Madara's hide out." Shikamaru stated.

"I believe that, if we so wanted to, we can sneak a group of our most elite shinobi in to fight Madara personally. Typically I would say that the Kages' should play this role, but I have to be honest; I am not certain you guys would win."

"Then who do you suggest?" Mei inquired.

Shikamaru sighed, running his hands through his hair. "I believe this is a conversation to be had once Team Kakashi returns. Truth be told, most of my thoughts on this matter is speculation. I do not believe a clear decision can be made immediately. As such, we should perhaps give this a day to sink in and return to give our input on the matter." His implication was clear to all of them -within that very team lay some of the strongest shinobi, including but not limited to Itachi and Kisame. But perhaps more important than this was Haruno Sakura, the clan heir fated to have power rivaling Kikyou Haruno, one of the founding mothers of Konoha. And because of this, he could not say anything on the matter, because he most definitely did not want to seal Sakura's fate in fighting off the legendary Uchiha Madara, but there seemingly was no other choice.

But at the end of the day, this was not his decision to make -he was simply giving his experienced and highly knowledgeable insight.

"How much more time does Utakata have?" Onoki asked absentmindedly.

Tsunade frowned. "two more." Because even if the extraction process took six days since Team Kakashi had gone out, it took three days just to get there, and afterwards Utakata would have a very limited time window to get help or die due to complications. Forty eight hours would be his cap.

A nodded. "Very well. For the time being, we will put this matter aside and focus on the things we can do. I agree with Shikamaru. We should not be hasty in our decision. If we are all on the same page, we should begin to form our troops and sort out the matter of the Tailed Beasts and the team that will be established in the North once Team Kakashi returns."

There was a small pause, especially longer in Tsunade's behalf, as she thought about what this implied for her daughter-like figure. Like it or not, Sakura's opinions and choices would be important and hold sustenance, in particular because in the back of their minds, everyone thought that the prophecy of the Haruno heir alluded to this specific battle, meaning that Sakura was important. Kage or not, she was pertinent, and her opinions would sway the course of this war, and it scared Tsunade to think that the kunoichi she knew for well over ten years now held so much power in her hands. Eventually Tsunade had to resign herself to nodding in agreement along with all the other Kages, and the Kage meeting was adjourned so they could begin mobilizing their troops.

The next day they had once more returned to speak of the progress they had made, but with luck, a letter had come to Tsunade during said meeting, in the form of a black crow. Tsunade had opened the letter, happy to hear of the news. "Utakata has been rescued." she declared with a sigh of relief. "They are all safe, but Utakata will need serious medical attention once he arrives."

"How far away are they?" Mei asked seriously. It wouldn't matter much if they couldn't return on time, after all.

"About six hours away." With this news, they knew that Utakata was more than likely to live, a relief to them all. With this, Tsunade turned to look at Shizune. "Prepare a room for Utakata. Kakashi has included Sakura's initial medical report on Utakata. Prepare accordingly."

"Hai, Lady Tsunade." Shizune nodded, grabbed the letter, and shuffled out of the room quickly without so much as another sound.

* * *

**So here we are, the next chapter c: War is just around the corner ~~~ How excited are you guys? :D So other than the fight scene, this chapter got very.. political. I tried to be as accurate as possible wit the location of everything, so reference a map of the Naruto world if need be c: It'll help you all understand! I wanted to make this a little different from what actually happened in the manga to add my own spin on it, but a lot of the events will overlap (just perhaps with diff. people or different end results). Lemme know what you all think of this o:**

**And the next chapter will kind of allude to what I have in store for the ending. I'm sure a lot of you will catch it. Some more Sakura x Itachi follows, as well as more character development as far as Kisame goes c: **

**And as always, my fight scenes are not the best, but I tried to make it as realistic as far as everyone's abilities go. If you guys see any room for improvement, please let me know x) **

**And as I have stated in the last chapter, this story has been officially RENAMED to Sakura's New Present (more explanation in the A/N in the last chapter, in case you missed it. So don't be alarmed! But the third and final sequel will be called Sakura's New Future, I apologize if they may confuse anybody!**

**Next on my agenda will be the revision of Sakura's New Past Ch. 11, and I'll begin to work on The New Otokage (S), although this will not be updated until next month or perhaps the month afterwards along with the (I) version.**

**Comments? Questions? Critiques? Leave 'em all here! Any and all feedback is much appreciated ~**

**-MarzSpy**


	19. Promise

**Heyyyo, here with another chapter, sorry for the late update. This chapter is sort of the aftermath of Utakata's retrieval plus more planning in regards to the war. You'll see more Ita x Saku here, just a little bit.**

**As a side note, I am here to state the age of Konan and Pein in my story, as I don't believe their age was ever specified in the anime/manga. I am estimating that Konan &amp; Nagato are about 34 y/o, putting them 15 years older than Sakura herself, 8 years older than Itachi, and just 2 years older than Kakashi c:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters in any way, shape, or form.**

**Chapter 19: Promise**

* * *

The light above the doorway signaling an operation taking place flickered off, and within a minutes time three kunoichi emerged through the double doors, respectively exhausted and drained, removing their surgical masks.

The occupants in the waiting room, namely shinobi from Kiri, looked up to exchange glances with the medics.

"He'll be fine." Tsunade finally declared after throwing out her bloody gloves and removing the bloodier scrubs, Sakura and Shizune doing the same alongside her. "His heart nearly gave out half way through, so we had to pump it by hand as we stitched up his organs. We had to cut out a piece of his kidney and reconstruct it ourselves, or risk kidney failure later on, which would in turn lead to a kidney transplant. His chakra reserves are low, but Sakura did a superb job of transferring her own into him while transporting him."

All in all, it had been a rough two and a half hour surgery (and not to mention that Sakura had just come from a strenuous mission, but this was not a surgery she was willing to miss), but at least Utakata was in the clear. "Thanks to the bijuu, we'll see him recover significantly faster. I surmise that he'll be awake within a couple of hours, and he'll be moving once more in perhaps three days, but this is not to mean that he should join the war effort.

Mei sighed in relief, extremely grateful for the damage control. "There is no way I could ever thank you enough." This statement was directed to all three of them, Tsunade and Shizune having performed surgery on him, and Sakura having done this and so much more.

"Well, I suppose you can thank me by sticking some protective detail on him and making sure he's not out roaming the Shinobi Lands anymore. He's lucky to be alive." Even so, it had been a rough day, and by the time that they had finished the sun was already setting. Tsunade turned to look at Sakura. "Good work today, Sakura. Go home and get some rest, I'll make sure Kakashi writes up the mission debriefing."

"Hai, Tsunade-shishou." Sakura nodded in thanks. She bid her goodbyes to her mentor and Shizune, and then to Mei, before she clocked out of the hospital for the day and painfully made her way home -she'd be lying if she said she didn't have to take a couple soldier pills just to make it through the surgery. Alas, her chakra reserves had never been as extensive as Naruto's (nor will they ever be), but healing was very taxing on the body, and she was all but depleted of chakra.

She came to find that she had company escorting her home, by the name of Hiroto, although she welcomed him with a smile, having missed her cousin. Truth be told, he was just concerned, and didn't want something like what had happened previously with Orochimaru to occur again. "I take it Utakata is doing well, then?" Hiroto began, shoving his hands in his pocket as he walked alongside Sakura.

"He's heavily medicated on pain meds, but he'll be just fine." Sakura stated casually, not going into the specifics. "Has everyone eaten already?" she changed the subject.

"Hai. Mikoto put aside a plate for you." Hiroto simply answered.

Sakura nodded and said no more, content to allow the silence to carry them home. Upon her arrival and the sharing of Utakata's well-being, she was left to a much needed hot shower, and then returning to the kitchen to immerse in small conversation with the group of shinobi comprised of Kisame, Hiroto, and Itachi as she ate her food.

"Tsunade will want you at the Kage Summit tomorrow to share the intel you've gathered from your fight with Madara, among other things." Hiroto stated casually.

"Among other things?" she asked in between bites.

"Shikamaru has proposed a plan. A small group of elite shinobi to sneak in to Madara's base to commence an assault and keep him busy, so as to have him occupied, so he cannot go out bijuu hunting." Hiroto explained. He had been there, being the stand-in heir for Sakura while she was out recapturing Utakata, and although he had been silent the entirety of the time, his opinion holding no real value to any of them, the thought of sending his Sakura-hime to face that monster stirred within him feelings of extreme unrest.

Sakura nodded, understanding the implication. Clearly, her name had come up in suggestion, and she reckoned that Kisame's and Itachi's own had too. "Where is everyone?" she changed the subject; she didn't want to talk about this right now -didn't want to dare think that any of her and her close friends would go to this war, and a number of them would not come back from it.

"Daichi is meeting a couple of Suna's and Iwa's analysts respectively. Mei's army had a long way to travel so their analysts will arrive tomorrow morning. Marika has been assigned as the leader of one of Tsunade's platoons. As such, she has enlisted the help of Himawari in sorting and meeting the shinobi who would work directly under her. Sayuri is at home resting from the mission, and Mikoto has met up with a few other clan matriarchs' to discuss evacuation protocols in case we need to." Hiroto explained.

"And what are you, useless?" Kisame joked, trying to make the daunting truth of war just a little less serious -it worked, surprisingly, a comment that had earned him chuckles from Sakura.

"Well if you must know, I was assigned as Sakura-hime's body guard." Hiroto retorted with a roll of his eyes.

Sakura scoffed. "I don't need a body guard, Hiroto. I'm not five."

"No, no you're not." Hiroto agreed with a nod. "But you do have quite a tendency of getting yourself into trouble." Sakura wished she could counter that, but dejectedly, she settled for sticking her tongue out childishly as she stood to put her empty plate in the sink.

"I believe that perhaps your attendance tomorrow may be necessary, especially if they plan on sending you out as part of this "elite team." Sakura began, addressing Kisame and Itachi. "Be ready early in the morning."

Kisame glanced at Itachi, but found that Itachi would offer no words. "Hai."

"It's been a long day. Let's just head off to sleep. We'll need to be well rested for tomorrow's proceedings." Sakura sighed in annoyance, but mainly exhaustion.

And so it had been, and one by one, they had gone off to their separate bedrooms, Kisame taking the spare, Itachi taking Marika's, and Hiroto resting himself on the couch for the night.

* * *

"As I'm sure Hiroto has already told you, this meeting is about what we should do in regards to the North." Onoki began the meeting by getting straight to the point with the Haruno heir and ex-Akatsuki rogues respectively. "But I believe before we get to that, we should discuss your confrontation with Madara. Have we any insight we could use against him now?"

"He's got weaknesses; flaws." Sakura admitted with a nod. "Now that we know what they are, there's a greater chance that we'll be able to attack him, given that we wait for the appropriate moment to strike." Sakura affirmed. "Other than that, there's not much else we could gather; it was an enclosed battle. No one really had any time nor space to fight to their fullest potential."

Onoki and A nodded; at least this was a relief. If they had been able to find a weakness in his fighting style once, it would mean that they would be able to do it again, given the opportunity, a fact which was not lost to any of the Kages'. This battle was winnable. "And where is he now?"

It was Itachi who spoke now. "He can no longer continue his operations where he is now. There are only two places Madara could flee. Sangaku no Hakaba, and to Otogakure with Orochimaru. I suspect that Madara will go to the latter next."

"And what leads you to believe this?" Tsunade asked.

"There is nothing more for Madara to do in regards to the preparation of his White Zetsu army. He kept Orochimaru as a silent pawn this long -clearly there is something he either desires or needs from him."

"And what is the only thing that only Orochimaru knows how to do as of now?" Kisame stated, knowing what his companion was hinting at.

"Tobirama's Impure World Reincarnation technique." Tsunade responded grimly. It had been a kinjutsu that Orochimaru had discovered more than a decade ago, and as such, was the only one who knew how to replicate the technique. Despite its initial flaws, given the time that Orochimaru had spent tweaking it and improving it, it was near perfect now, an asset which could perhaps be the pivotal point in this war if he managed to get his hands on the likes of deceased Kages'.

The room shifted tensely. "I would suggest destroying grave sights now, but seeing as all your troops are already mobilizing, there may not be enough people at home to act so quickly and efficiently." Itachi stated.

Had they really fallen trap to Madara's plan unknowingly?

"I'll get Jiraiya right on this." Tsunade stated seriously -if there was one person that she could trust to gather information for her, it was Jiraiya and all of his contacts.

"Very well then. Let's move on to the original topic at hand." A interjected: the matter of their positioning in the war.

"I do believe that Shikamaru had the right idea; this would be the best way to divide our troops, given the circumstances. Rather, I believe we're all in agreement here." Gaara stated, all the Kages' nodding in response to his statement.

"Then the matter falls onto who we think we should send." Finally, the question that had kept most of them up all night.

"Itachi and I have already offered up our services. I believe it goes without saying that if anyone has any chance of defeating him, it is us." Kisame stated, glad to see that the Kages' aids didn't seem to be as tense as they were when he had first invited himself into the meeting but four to five days prior.

"And what makes you think you can defeat him?" Mei asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't think so in the slightest. But this is a matter of distracting him, right?" Kisame paused for a moment's notice. "My chakra supplies are vast enough even the aid of your bijuu pales in comparison. I can withstand battle, definitely long enough for reinforcements to arrive." And it was true: he was not known as the Tailess Tailed Beast for nothing. Kisame truly was a monster in his own right, fearsome not only in his prowess, but his longevity and stamina too.

"I do hope I'm not putting you on the spot," Mei interrupted hesitantly, "but it has been divined that you are the reincarnation of Kikyou, a founding mother alongside Madara. Should we not take into consideration what Sakura here has to say? She is the reason we know as much as we do anyhow." Mei suggested, not one to quickly forget that Sakura had been the only one supportive of the decision of going to rescue Utakata.

Sakura hadn't at all been surprised when eyes finally turned to her for insight. "Despite being the child of prophecy, I don't exactly know what it means that I should do. I by no means am stronger than any one of you here." Sakura stated seriously. "Whether I truly hold Kikyou's strength or not, would this alone be enough to defeat Madara anyhow?"

"But it has been foretold that you would bring an end to the darkness in the world. Surely this must have meant Madara." the Tsuchikage spoke seriously. Not many knew of the specific details behind the prophecy, having never seen it themselves and only being spoken of in passing, but as a Kage it was his responsibility to be well-informed in such matters -it was all of their responsibilities, and he was sure he was not the only one who knew of the vague meaning behind the foretold fate of the Haruno heir.

"Are you really trying to suggest that my student be the one to face against a man rivaling my own grandfather's strength?" Tsunade spoke with irritation. She would be damned if she let her student go up against a man such as that, especially with only Kisame and Itachi (thus far) as back-up. Even just retrieving Utakata, with a five man squad, mind you, had been unsettling.

"Madara must have feared you enough to attempt to kill you." A reasoned. "Maybe Onoki is not too far off base. Who's to say she doesn't have the key to defeating him?"

Before Sakura could answer him though, Itachi interrupted, causing her to shut her mouth closed. "And who is to say she is? We cannot be for certain what the prophecy's specifics truly entailed. Although we can assume it meant she would defeat Madara, it is unlikely. Only a Mangekyou Sharingan would be able to withstand his own. As such, I propose to be the one to defeat him. Of course, with added help."

"Should this not be a role that us Kages' should fill?" Gaara asked with a raised eyebrow, knowing that this had been the original plan.

"We know that Madara clearly plans to wreak havoc and devastation to every land, or he would not have built an army of this magnitude. If we go in too deep, he may find a way to escape us and use this to harm your troops." Itachi countered. "Your lands run at risk if you venture too deep into enemy territory. In addition, Kisame and myself are just as strong as any of you. I simply have the added help of my bloodline."

"That's not a bad idea." A agreed with a nod. "But what of the Jinchuuriki? I remain adamant in my belief that they should be hidden from Madara and as such support Shikamaru's decision."

"I believe that if we hide away Naruto or Killer B, that he will find a way to bi-pass all protective detail we may stick them with. They should remain in the front lines, perhaps with at least one or two Kage attached to them." Tsunade instead countered, knowing that Naruto would refuse anything less than standing in the front lines along with Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi by his side. The dream team, so to speak.

"But what about Utakata?" Mei asked.

"He also runs a risk." Sakura agreed. "And a much greater one, seeing as he can't be moved and won't be anywhere near fighting capacity for another week, at least."

"And Madara must know this. He'll be after blood after what we did to him." A acknowledged.

"At the end of the day, regardless of what we say, Naruto will end up doing whatever he thinks will be best; and I am likened to agree that his rightful spot is alongside me." Tsunade reasoned. "Although we are in this together, it is my ultimate decision which will decide Naruto's fate, not any of your own. A, I respect you and your reasoning, and if that is the way that you want to go about protecting Killer Bee, then so be it. But Naruto is the strongest shinobi in all of the Fire Country; it would be a waste not to use him -I'm almost inclined to state he should be among the group to fight against Madara. If what Itachi states is true, then we won't be able to do it ourselves without straying from our posts, but this leaves us vulnerable." Tsunade explained.

"Tsunade is right. With or without a team trying to distract him, he will go for his true objectives. If we isolate them, there won't be anyone left to help if you go down, A." Gaara reasoned. Truth be told, although he couldn't say that he knew Naruto very well in this timeline, he had a feeling that he would not stand for what A was suggesting, and he was inclined in supporting Tsunade's decision, if only because it truly made the most sense to him.

"Seeing as Utakata is already heavily injured, Madara may not even bother with him until the true threats are taken care of. It's not like Utakata can escape on his own, after all." Sakura stated.

A sat in silence for a long time. "Very well. I will respect your wishes. But B will stay with me, then."

Onoki nodded; reasonable enough, he supposed. "And of the elite squad?"

Another troubling issue, one which they had perhaps changed the original topic of conversation from, if only because deciding this would be like sending their shinobi to their death.

Needless to say, they already had three shinobi signed up. "I want as many Sharingan in that fight as possible." Tsunade stated with a frown -although she didn't like it, she had a responsibility to Konoha to send whoever she thought had the best change at beating Madara. "As such, I also want to enlist the help of Uchiha Sasuke and Hatake Kakashi. Konoha is at fault for Madara's strength now. It will be us to make sure it never happens again." Tsunade stated seriously.

A nodded in understanding. "And you believe that they will be enough to defeat him?"

"With the exception of Naruto, they are the strongest shinobi in Konoha, apart from Kisame. I believe we're all trusting the prophecy..." Tsunade admitted reluctantly, her eyes glancing at Sakura. As much as it nearly physically pained her to do, she was sending her make-shift daughter out to fight Madara, and she had to stay back and lead her army in battle.

Sakura nodded wordlessly -she had truly not expected anything less. At least in this way she would be alongside Itachi on the battlefield, and she would be able to make sure he was safe. Sasuke too, because he and Naruto were right next to Itachi as far as importance to her went.

"I must argue against this." It was a voice nobody had actually expected, the voice of the male Haruno who had come as a spokesperson to the remaining members of the clan. He had been quiet for the entirety of the meeting, knowing it was not in his place to speak, but at this he could no longer remain silent.

"And why is that?" Mei leaned back on her seat, curious.

"You must understand that I have been protecting Sakura all my life." Hiroto established. "The entirety of my clan lives solely to protect Sakura-hime. We will not let her go into battle alone." It was a statement that all felt adamant about. Just because Sakura wanted to try and keep them safe, didn't mean that it would happen in any case.

"Hiroto-" Sakura tried to silence him quickly, her tone lashing, but Hiroto would not back down from this one, despite his usual submission to Sakura's word.

"If Team Kakashi could not hold their ground against Madara but five days ago, they alone will not suffice for the mission. I understand Daichi is one of your main analysts, but Himawari, Marika and myself are adept fighters. Our place is alongside Sakura, and even if you say otherwise, we will go with her to battle."

Truth be told, A admired how bold Hiroto was, and especially in how adamant he felt about protecting his charge. "But Marika has already been assigned a platoon." Tsunade countered.

Before Hiroto could counter, A lifted his hand, a sign for Hiroto to stop so that he could speak. "Very well, you will have your demand. You and the other two Harunos' available to be moved can go." As he said this, he turned to Tsunade. "It would not hurt to have an extra pair of Hanabira-me in the battlefield." he reasoned.

Tsunade sighed, but relented nevertheless. "Very well. Please inform them and make sure they're in agreement with this."

"I've already consulted with all of them. I understand Marika and Daichi are special circumstances; I won't press any further in regards to them."

Sakura had to admit she was less than pleased with this development, never wanting her kinsmen to be in any direct harm (not that they wouldn't be in harms way anywhere else in this war, but the chances seemed drastically deadlier where she was going), but she didn't utter a word. This was neither the place, nor the time to converse about Hiroto's (and the rest of her clan's) insubordination. Without any more discussion left, the four shinobi were excused from the Kage Summit and as such returned to the Haruno Compound (Kisame and Itachi clearly henge'd), although for once their walk was completely silent.

No words were spoken, even once they arrived back home, until they saw the remaining Haruno Clan members, who had been sitting at the dining table expectantly. They all looked at the door as they walked in, almost as if they had been waiting for this moment.

Sakura could tell the moment that she laid eyes on them that they had in fact been waiting for this moment, especially once they looked to Hiroto for an answer, affirmed with a small nod on his part, and that broke the last restraint she had on her temper. "You guys went behind my back and discussed usurping my authority in order to join this battle -my battle." She declared, her voice not at all hiding her very well-maintained anger (up until now, that is).

"Sakura-chan, we can explain. I-"

But Marika did not get to finish her sentence, as Sakura raised her hand to interrupt her. "I am not done talking." she interjected sternly. "This was not your call to make. _Any of you_." Her voice seemed to echo powerfully within the room, Kisame and Itachi rightfully so staying out of the argument. "I may be the youngest here, but I am still the heir, and the leader to this clan. You answer to _me._ You don't make decisions such as these without coming to me first." as she said this, she explicitly looked at Hiroto, because it was him first and foremost who was the acting heir in her stead whenever she was not here, simply because of his age, and because he had been the acting heir for the past decade as her body caught up to this timeline. She had a guarantee of somehow impacting this war, if only because of the prophecy; they did not. She had a chance -they had certain death at the hands of Madara.

"And if we had come to you first you would have said no and prohibited me from going to the Kage Summit. It is our job to keep you safe, Sakura-hime." Hiroto reasoned.

"And you think any of you can make that difference?" she asked seriously -genuinely too, despite the anger in her tone.

"We can try." Himawari answered, frowning. She had been born and raised to be nothing if not Sakura's sole protector and body guard -and now Sakura was trying to tell her that she was not _fit _to stand in battle alongside her? That she wouldn't make a difference? That if it came down to it, she could not save Sakura? Despite how true these words may be, it was offensive and downright hurtful to a certain degree.

Sakura's knuckles turned white in anger. "You do understand your blood is on _my_ hands, right? If you die it won't matter if you died heroically. It won't matter that you fought valiantly. You will have been a sacrifice for my sake -and you're going to leave that hanging over my head for the rest of my life if it ever happens."

She stormed off then, if only because she didn't want them to see her tears as she attempted her best to blink them away. Hiroto wanted to follow after her, to make her see reason, but Itachi had stopped him with a soft but firm hand on his shoulder. "Leave her be." his eyes followed her retreating figure, but once she was gone he turned to look at the Haruno Clan members who were decidedly stiff and still, having never been reprimanded by Sakura like that before. They knew what they had done would upset her, but this did not mean it was any less the right thing to do, as they believed it. "What you guys did was foolish. You won't protect her any better than either of us." Itachi reasoned, knowing that Sakura was rightfully correct to be upset. If he were the reason that Sasuke had volunteered to face Madara, he knew he'd also have his reservations about it. And Sakura had a point: they were nothing compared to the likes of Kisame and himself. They would not be able to do anything that they could not.

"She is our clan heir." Hiroto glared at the Uchiha. "You may love her, but love is a fleeting emotion. She is our family. A direct connection to our ancestry. If we lose her not only do we lose a family member, but we lose all connection to our heritage, okay? If we lose her, we have _nothing._ You wouldn't even begin to understand." Hiroto was angry; he could not help it, as he shoved Itachi's hand off of his shoulder.

But just as quick Itachi had menacingly turned his way with a hand tightly pressing Hiroto against a wall; an action that had everyone tense, and Kisame just about ready to disarm Itachi. "Don't insult me." Itachi glared. "She is all**_ I_ **have." he announced boldly, not at all concerned with the fact that his business, his love for Sakura, as Hiroto had put it, had now been thrown out in the open like that.

Hiroto's Hanabira-me suddenly activated, spinning wildly and threateningly, but as he did this Itachi's own Sharingan did the same. "You really think you can make a difference on the battlefield?" Itachi asked him, not at all intimidated by the bloodline limit -if it came down to it (of which he knew it would not), his was stronger anyway.

"I'm not sure if I can. But I will never forgive myself if I don't at least try." Hiroto countered angrily.

"That's enough." Marika stood, her tone stern and her eyes filled with fire. "You will stop this at once -both of you. You are disrespecting Okaa-san's home." Ayame would be rolling in her grave at seeing such animosity between comrades; family, even. And it was true, Itachi had to admit, and never one to be disrespectful, he released Hiroto and turned off his Sharingan without reluctance.

"Ahh" he apologized (sort of).

"Hiroto. Apologize." Marika demanded. "You were out of line. I get it; we're tense. But why are we taking this out on each other? Sakura has every right to be upset. Just as she needs to understand our feelings, we have to understand hers. It is her duty to keep our clan prospering; she can't guarantee our safety in front of Madara." Marika explained. "And although it may be the case that we may not be as qualified to protect her compared to you, Itachi-san, or Kisame, our own pride will not forgive us if we sit back and do nothing. I'm sure you feel the same, yes?"

Itachi did not respond, although he didn't need one. His actions spoke for themselves.

Hiroto did not apologize, at least not directly, although he looked at Itachi, then proceeded to look down in guilt, until he decided to turn around and walk away. He had had enough for one day, he decided.

A man of little words, Itachi knew Hiroto's intentions and as such said and did nothing on the matter. Himawari had excused herself then, chasing after her nii-san, and the rest of the shinobi had been left still, reluctant to stay but too tense to move.

* * *

Sakura had been sitting outside, with her feet dangling from the floorboards, simply staring at the scenery after her outburst. Wanting her solitude, she was glad that no one had approached her for along time. But after nearly an hour, she could feel Itachi's presence approach her. He stood behind her for several seconds, before he spoke. "May I?"

Sakura chuckled slightly "Go right ahead."

He sat alongside her, just a few inches of space between them. Clearly there was something she wanted to say, but perhaps was not quite ready to, so in silence they sat for a long time, simply staring at the scenery before them until she finally spoke. "You scapegoated yourself for me, Itachi. You tried to take my spot in the front line." It was a simple statement -neither angry nor grateful, nor judgmental, but a fact. She had known since her first fight with the masked nin that it had been her destiny to defeat him. And after finding out that he had been behind the Haruno Clan Massacre, it became ever more clearer that this was more than just her fate to cleanse the world of darkness. It was her fate to avenge her clan, as much as she had despised Sasuke in her previous timeline for that very same vendetta against Itachi. "I should have rightfully so been signed up to be on the front lines against him, but you discredited me." He had taken her place, at least, attempted to, for she had been signed up for it anyhow. And truth be told, it infuriated her how everyone seemed to think that they needed to protect her from Madara for some reason. Wasn't it her job to protect them from Madara? Was she not destined to defeat him?

Itachi knew that this conversation had been coming. "Madara is a dangerous man, Sakura."

"And why does that give you the right to fight my own battles?" finally her rage emerged, both in her trembling tone and her eyes filled with fire. He could tell this in part had to do with what Hiroto had done, but he had done the same too, so in a way he had no right to talk.

"It doesn't." he denied impassively.

"Then why?" her voice cracked -she couldn't help it, tears threatening to spill from her face. She had known this moment would come for a long time, but knowing it and actually living it were two entirely different things. But now they were out of time. War was staring them dead in the face, and with this realization came the daunting truth that Itachi, the man that she, dare she say it, _loved,_ was going up against him. It terrified her to no end, and it made her especially angry in knowing that he had drafted himself in her stead -tried to, in any case.

"Because I can't stand to lose you again, Sakura." he looked at her then, and for the life of her, Sakura had not expected all of the emotions in his eyes smothering her. "I thought I had killed you because of Madara once before. If I am able to prevent it, I will give my life to ensure your safety."

"You have no right to decide this for me. Because as much as it pained you, it would absolutely _kill_ me if anything were to happen to you because of me." she could no longer withhold the tears as they slid down her cheeks, her voice cracking at the mention of Itachi dying.

"Sa-" but he couldn't finish, as suddenly Sakura turned fully to him and embraced him, one he instinctively held his arms out for even if he hadn't expected it at first.

"You can't die Itachi." she proclaimed. "Promise me you won't die. Promise me everyone will be okay." And Itachi could tell this was something that went further than him, and further than Sakura, but to all of her friends and family, all the comrades she had grown up with over the years and the new ones she had made while in her adventures in the past.

Itachi's jaw clenched. How could she possibly make him promise this? Nevertheless, he could never deny her, and so he brought one of his hands to the top of her head. "Hai. I promise, Sakura." Even if he couldn't guarantee their safety, he knew that simply hearing those words would be a relief to Sakura.

* * *

Sakura had inevitably gone off to speak to her kinsmen fully after her time alone with Itachi, having been able to rationalize her anger and understand it to simply be fear, an act which had left Kisame and Itachi alone once more.

"This is all happening so quickly, nee?" Kisame sighed, sitting down with his back leaning against the wall of the room. Truth be told, he was walking on ice here, not wanting to step on his toes but simultaneously wanting to question him about his outburst (if it could even be considered one) with Hiroto. He had never seen the Uchiha react so threateningly to a teammate before, especially over such a matter, although he supposed Sakura was a special circumstance.

Itachi glanced at Kisame briefly. "Hn." Silence once more filled the room, Kisame not entirely knowing what to say, although surprisingly, it was Itachi who spoke at long last. "Kisame. I'd like to ask a favor of you." He was turned away from Kisame, an act strange as it was, for Itachi had always been polite enough to stare at someone directly when speaking to them.

At the comment, Kisame couldn't help from raising an eyebrow curiously. A favor, he says... Never, in any of their years of friendship, had Itachi ever asked for a favor. Why had things changed now? Even though he asked this, he didn't particularly care, only feeling elated at the thought that his friendship with Itachi had reached such a level of intimate trust. "Sure, anything."

Itachi's body was outwardly tense, leading Kisame to believe that he was about to confide something to him -and why of all times? "Please take care of Sakura."

His eyebrows almost immediately scrunched up in confusion. "What? What do you mean? Don't be silly Itachi." he laughed it off at first, Itachi still not turning to face him.

He didn't answer Kisame exactly as he had expected Itachi to. "I don't believe that to be Madara, Kisame."

Kisame's eyebrows scrunched. "What? What do you mean? We saw as much."

"We saw that he was an Uchiha." Itachi corrected. "Despite the power and skill associated with Madara's name, we have never heard of a technique expanding one's life or extending their longevity for such a vast amount of time. This leads me to believe that his identity is an alias he has taken up in order to invoke fear to all confronted."

"But his skill set -his prowess. It's all uncanny to the legend of Madara."

"Hn. It is." Itachi confirmed with a nod. "Which leads me to believe that he clearly knew either of Madara, or knew him personally. Enough for Madara to share his techniques and his aspirations."

"So who do you think it is? Surely you must have an idea, or you wouldn't have brought this up."

Itachi did not answer the question, at least not in a way that Kisame had expected. "It is curious to note that this man's Mangekyou works very similarly to Hatake Kakashi's own -a direct parallel socket to Kakashi's."

Kisame understood grimly. "And why didn't you bring this up at the Kage Summit?"

"Because if they believe him to not be Madara, they will foolishly underestimate him." Itachi simply explained. "He may not be Madara, but as I stated then, he has had express reasons to still keep Orochimaru close."

Kisame could have groaned. "He's planning on bringing him back."

"Precisely." Itachi affirmed.

"I still don't understand. Why are you telling me this? Why not Sakura?"

"Despite him not being Madara, Sakura lacks the skill set to defeat him. Without a pair of Mangekyou eyes, the only way to defeat him will be to exhaust all of his resources, a feat only you can do, Kisame, given your copious amounts of chakra and stamina." Itachi explained. "If I fail to defeat him, you surely will."

But this statement only further increased Kisame's confusion. "And why do you think that you will fail to begin with, Itachi?" Finally they were returning to the original topic of conversation, and why Itachi and expressly asked him to take care of Sakura. _Why did he think he would die in the process so firmly?_

"I'm sick, Kisame."

Kisame scoffed, glad to find this wasn't as serious as he had expected. "Sick? Well, hopefully you'll be better before we head off to Mountain's Graveyard." But after this comment is when Itachi finally turned to look at Kisame fully, that usual flicker of mirth in his eyes clearly not evident now. "You will get better won't you, Itachi?" the amusement in his tone was no longer there, now replaced with some sort of confusion. The silence grew and stretched on ominously. "Itachi?" he asked once more, especially because the look Itachi was giving him told him that the Uchiha didn't expect to live past the war.

"I've been sick for years now." Itachi admitted finally. "A result of an unknown virus weakening my red blood cells." There was a pause, almost as if Itachi was letting this information sink in. "I won't make it past the war."

It felt as if his heart had dropped all the way to his stomach, and for the longest time, Kisame didn't know what to say -how to even react, so he simply stood there in shock. "...You haven't told her, have you?" he finally spoke after a long silence -who he meant was obvious.

"Sakura can't know." Itachi stated firmly. He had made her a promise that he would live -he could not stand seeing her face knowing that he would not. Perhaps this was selfish of him, but he couldn't stand seeing her face heart-broken, of which he knew it would be. If these were his last moments with her, then he would prefer they be happy. "She will be too preoccupied trying to save me to focus on the war that will occur." Even though Kisame didn't want to accept this, he knew it to be true. "Danzo will be after her after this ordeal. Someone needs to protect her."_ Because he could not,_ the words were left unspoken.

Silence once more settled between the duo. What was Kisame to say? What could he say? "...I'll guard her with my life, Itachi." he promised, his hands gripped into tight fists of anger as he stared up at Itachi, seemingly at peace with this. "Are you not in pain?"

Itachi blinked and turned away, clearly deflecting, or not wanting Kisame to see the extent of the truth. "I have medication for the pain."

"And does it work?" Kisame countered.

"It does what it can." His heart ached, and for the first time in years Kisame felt like crying, for mourning the life of someone so innocent, _for his friend_, who was forced to walk down this path. How had Kisame been so blind to Itachi's pain for all these years?

"Do Mikoto and Sasuke even know? And what about Saki?" Although he asked this, he knew the answer; this was more so Kisame implying that they should be notified.

"Iee. I do not wish to burden them with the knowledge of my passing. Despite the path I was forced to go down, I do not regret the course of my life, Kisame." Although these words he may take to the grave, had it not been for his past, he would have never been able to meet Kisame, a fine shinobi, comrade, and friend, despite what others may think of him.

Kisame nodded, turning away from Itachi's gaze. "This isn't fair."

As much as Itachi so desperately wanted to agree, he could do nothing more than return his gaze at the scenery.

Life wasn't meant to be fair.

* * *

Itachi had dismissed himself, primarily because he felt stiff and awkward being around Kisame, because now he was looking at him with those eyes, pitying Itachi for his soon to be untimely end. As such, he had taken up the decision of going to the Uchiha Compound, perhaps for the sake of reminiscing on the past, perhaps to look at the state which had befallen his former home, or perhaps simply to run away from those eyes filled with guilt and regret. Whatever the reason, he had walked there with much purpose, simply telling Kisame that he was going out for some time -Kisame dare not question it. Despite how purposefully he had walked there, upon his arrival to the Uchiha estate, his pace got slower, almost as if he were second guessing his decision, as memories began to flood his brain. Some memories good, but most of them bad.

He continued walking, his feet naturally took him to his former home, and before long he had found himself wandering to the room formerly belonging to Sakura. Even now he could remember with great detail the young Haruno Sakura, and the many interactions they had shared, some in that very same room.

Had someone told him that she would change the course of his life so drastically when he had first met her, he wouldn't have believed it.

He began walking once more, this time to the very spot in which he had slain his father over a decade ago. The oak floors were decaying, old and dusty, and it was clear to Itachi that they had not been visited for years. Most of the furniture remained as well, perhaps due to the fact that Sakura's own home had its own, meaning that Mikoto did not have to keep hers.

But family portraits were all gone, taken down and perhaps taken with Mikoto and put into storage, and he could not stop his fingertips from slightly touching the oak wall, where a picture of his seemingly perfect family had once been.

"I was wondering where you had gone off to." Itachi turned, the lone figure of Sakura standing a few paces behind him with a small smile on her features. "Kisame had said you went for a walk, so I naturally presumed here."

"Ahh..." Itachi responded casually.

"Mikoto and Sasuke are home. She'll be starting dinner soon." Sakura notified him dutifully.

Itachi nodded, although his eyes turned to the very spot his father had fallen, the image forever ingrained in his head thanks to the Sharingan. Sakura knew what he must have been thinking, for she approached him then, a gentle hand brushing against his arm as a form of support -surely this still pained him. "He had said he was proud of me." Itachi stated at first, pausing as his eyes took notice of the blood stain that had never quite been removed. "I often wonder if there was any truth in those words."

Sakura turned to him, her eyes softening. "You did what you thought you had to. He knew this, and he was proud that you were taking the necessary steps to insure Sasuke-kun's safety." Sakura reasoned. "He loved you dearly, Itachi. His actions said as much... He told me as much."

Itachi turned to Sakura, clearly inquiring on what she meant.

"I revealed to him the reason of my appearance in the past hours before the massacre. He passed on with a clean conscious."

Itachi nodded -whether he wanted to cry out at this information or not, his tears had all but dried up over the incident. He had come to terms with it, after all. But there was something he had yet to; if he was to die, he wanted to at least know what it was like...-

His hand lifted, ghostly fingertips just barely grazing Sakura's pink cheeks. "You mean more to me than you could ever imagine, Sakura."

Sakura's fingertips played with each other nervously as a small smile appeared on her features. She couldn't help but realize now that, other than the instance in the hotel room, she hadn't truly been fully alone with Itachi like this. This had been the first time he had openly acknowledged his feelings like this, without her making the first move, not to mention, and it made Sakura's toes curl and her heart palpitate strongly against her chest. "I'm glad you feel the same I do." Her mind was racing, a hesitant sort of awkward tension between the two.

_'No...' _Itachi reprimanded himself. This was not right -it was not fair. How could he indulge himself at Sakura's own expense? As much as it frustrated and to an extent saddened him to decide this, he turned then, intent on walking away, but he was stopped by a gentle hand that had gripped on to his shirt firmly.

"Itachi... onegai... Stop running from me." Unbeknownst of his true feelings, Sakura was just as easily nervous about everything. She didn't know what was to happen in this war (unknowingly to her, Itachi did). And if she was to die here, then she at least wanted to feel the affectionate touch of Itachi's skin on hers once if nothing else. Her hesitancy and innocence was enough to drive any sane man mad, and Itachi was nearly no different.

Kami, he could have sighed in exasperation by how frustrated he was, especially in seeing her pleading expression. "Sakura, I-" But he didn't know what he could say, frankly. What possible excuse could he come up with this time for denying what they both wanted, what he desperately _needed_ in his life, without revealing to her his fate? Maybe he didn't try hard enough to come up with a reason, because he secretly wanted an excuse to do exactly what both of them desperately wanted to, so eventually he succumbed to his desires and turned around fully to her, a hand gripping on to her pink locks as he pulled her to him then, with need and desire intermingling all at once.

Her lips were soft, softer than anything he could have ever imagined, and inwardly he couldn't help but wonder why he had denied himself the pleasure of kissing her for so very long (too long, really). It was near intoxicating, he decided, and the thought of having to stop brought forth from within him his stubborn Uchiha traits of always getting (and doing) what he wanted.

If Sakura was surprised by his actions, she didn't show it, welcoming the surprising development. His hand on the back of her head was soft but firm, and she hadn't noticed until now that the other had taken residence at her waist (Kami she felt like such a woman!). His lips on her own were gentle but with some form of desire fueling them inconspicuously, telling Sakura that if she didn't pull away, that he would remain there and claim his stakes until he so chose to retreat. But she didn't mind, not one bit, and inwardly she couldn't help but sigh at the bliss she felt.

Their kiss was over sooner than either of them would have liked it to be. But they had pulled away nonetheless, perhaps from the need of air, or perhaps from restraint, and they had stared at each other then, Sakura's cheeks ablaze, especially in realizing that Itachi's eyes were a deep crimson red (an act which had happened instinctively without his knowing).

His eyes softened, his Sharingan almost immediately deactivating as he realized his perverse mistake, and for a long time silence was the only thing between them, although this was not to mean that Itachi wasn't still holding on to her waist. _Would he react like this every time he kissed Sakura? _he couldn't help but wonder, even as Sakura smiled up at him hesitantly, as innocent as always.

"A-Anno..."

"Sasuke will come looking for us soon." Itachi simply stated. "We should return to the Compound." He said this, if only because if he didn't, then they would have no reason to _not _continue, and he could not,_ would not_, do that to Sakura. Perhaps if there had been a chance of him living...-

No, he would not even encourage such thoughts. Sakura deserved more, always had deserved better and more than he could ever give her, and juvenile thoughts of him claiming her the way only a man claims his wife were unsuited to have.

He would die, and she would move on and find someone who could give her all the love she desired and rightfully deserved.

"H-Hai." And so they had left, although they walked in close proximity to each other.

* * *

Now that the war preparations had already been made, it was inevitable that Tsunade would have to tell the Daimyo about Kisame and Itachi's presence in Konoha, and by extension The Elders. Although the Daimyo was a reasonable enough man, she knew the same could not be for one Danzo Shimura. But she did not want to go through this alone, and with some coaxing on her part, she had managed to sucker Sakura into accompanying her into the heart of the Land of Fire for the impromptu meeting called upon them by the Daimyo to discuss the war preparations. "Why drag me along to this?" Sakura couldn't help but complain. Truth be told, she wanted nothing more than to remain at home, and maybe even go out with Marika-nee or Himawari-chan or even Ino-pig, and explain to them all about what... _she and Itachi had done! _The thought nearly had a heated blush appearing on her face.

"Because as of now, you are the only shinobi other than myself that has faced up against Danzo in some way or another, and won. Even if he doesn't know who you are, which I expect you to not reveal, mind you," Tsunade added as an afterthought, knowing how impulsive Sakura could be when she became so passionate about a topic, "you are not afraid to put him in his place. Plus it doesn't hurt to have the support of the Haruno Clan heir, nee?"

"Oh so _that's_ what this is about." Sakura mused. "Using my name to gain favor with the Daimyo. Real clever, shishou." Sakura remarked playfully.

"Iee. You are simply a viable source; they are fugitives being harbored at your house. You're in knee deep just as I am." Although Sakura could argue that Tsunade had expressly given her orders on the matter, she dare not even argue as such, because she had been harboring them (and would have done it regardless of Tsunade's decision) before even notifying Tsunade, and she knew that her mentor knew as much too.

* * *

_"You mean to tell me you have been harboring fugitives in Konoha without notifying anyone?"_

Furious would not have accurately depicted Danzo's reactions, above all else's (a.k.a. the Daimyo).

"It was a call that I had to make in a state of emergency." Tsunade had explained. "If I had followed protocol and turned them both in accordingly, they may not have agreed to helping us; they're the sole reason why we have as much information on Madara as we do now. For Kami's sake they are the ones that volunteered to go save Utakata, a man who would most definitely be dead right now if it weren't for them." Tsunade explained, not at all concerned over the fact that Danzo would surely have her head on a silver platter right about now if he could have it so.

"I am likened to agree with Danzo, Tsunade. These are dangerous men, and you have been letting them run around Konoha as if they were allies? Temporary asylum put aside, they have both committed crimes against humanity all across these lands; Uchiha Itachi himself has slaughtered hundreds in our very grounds." The Daimyo stated sternly.

"They have had, and continue to have twenty four seven surveillance. They do not do as they please; rather, they have been confined to the Haruno Compound if not called to see us Kages' personally."

"And you thought not to notify either of us beforehand? Anyone, for that matter?" Danzo stated sternly.

"Oh don't be unreasonable Danzo." Tsunade chuckled slightly. "A lot of people knew; I just didn't bother to tell you." She knew she was picking a fight with Danzo, but she didn't particularly care. "The entirety of the Haruno and Uchiha knew, Shikamaru knew, Kakashi knew; all elite shinobi who I trust. And they seemed to not be the least bit concerned. You know why? Because they trust my judgement."

"These men should not even be given the chance." Danzo stated adamantly. "They should have been executed the moment they stepped foot in this village pleading for their lives."

"Actually, it was far from that, Danzo-sama." It was Sakura who had finally spoken. "They had come to me expressly because they were not in agreement with the actions Madara is taking. They were not begging; rather, bargaining to aid us for something beneficial to us both. We were lucky to even be considered on the matter." Sakura explained, as prim and proper as ever, even when she detested the man in front of her with every fiber of her being.

"And why, pray tell, would they come to you?" Danzo questioned with a raised eyebrow. "You are but a young kunoichi, and as such one with no grounds to be regarded as significant enough by these rogue ninja."

"I wouldn't be able to give you a straight answer even if I wanted to, Danzo-sama, Daimyo-sama." Sakura stated. "When I had asked them that very same question, Uchiha Itachi had stated that I reminded him of a teammate of long ago; someone who he could trust to make the right decision."

Danzo tensed -they had all seen it, but only Tsunade and Sakura knew why and seemed expressly pleased with the action afterwards.

Sakura had planted the seed, and all they had to do was let his paranoia manifest.

"Uchiha Itachi is a murderous animal who cannot be trusted." Danzo proclaimed, trying to deflect from his tension.

"Pardon for my interruption, yet again," Sakura spoke, "but if Sasuke-kun and Mikoto weren't the least bit afraid to let the very same man that had killed their family into their home, shouldn't that mean that there truly isn't anything to fear at all?"

"He-" Danzo seemed in near hysterics at the comment, but found he didn't necessarily know what to say.

"You are right -this does seem rather strange." The Daimyo accepted with a contemplative nod.

"Mikoto and Sasuke love this village. They have not said a word because they know we can't afford to let them go free and not take advantage of the situation that has presented itself upon us." Sakura reasoned.

"If that were to be the case, they are useless to us now. We have gathered as much information from them as possible; why keep their asylum intact?" Danzo frowned.

"Because they are far from being useless." Tsunade pressed. "Their prowess is renown across all lands. Uchiha Itachi himself would defeat me easily, I believe. The fact that he hasn't considered it shows that they have no ill-intentions to any of us, or any of the remaining Kage. And as a side note, if the other Kages' have accepted their partaking in this war, then why shouldn't we?"

"Because they're _murderers." _Danzo stressed. "Are we just going to lie down and be compliant to every which demand they have simply because they have strength? Konohagakure has never been one to be complacent to murderous convicts."

"Danzo-sama, why are you so afraid?" Sakura suddenly interjected.

"Wh-" Danzo seemed taken aback. "I'm not afraid, that's preposterous."

"Your shoulders are tense, your pupils are dilated, and your breathing pattern is no longer labored. Do you perhaps know something about them that we don't? It seems that your particular gripe is with Uchiha Itachi, not Hoshigaki Kisame." Sakura spoke oh-so innocently, an act which had Tsunade internally grinning from ear to ear.

"My gripe? Am I the only one not able to forgive him for his crimes against our nation?!" Danzo back-lashed, trying, and failing, to suppress his fear.

"Personally, I don't think it is us who have to forgive him." Sakura explained with a sigh. "And if Mikoto and Sasuke seem to already have come to terms with this, then why shouldn't we?"

"Sakura is right. An opportunity has presented itself to us. We would be fools to not take it and run with it. Both Kisame and Itachi have offered to pay for their crimes after the fact, once the war against Madara is over." Tsunade added.

"And who's to say they'll actually be true to their word?" The Daimyo asked.

"Daimyo-sama! You're not actually entertaining this notion, are you?" Danzo seemed out-raged.

"Quiet Danzo." The Daimyo barked. "They are the only ones giving me valid points here. Why should I not even consider what they have to say?"

Danzo remained sullen and quiet, allowing for Tsunade to answer the question. "They have yet to go back on their word now. Although S-Class criminals, shinobi of their standards pride themselves on their word, if nothing more. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have them with us, then against us."

And this was a statement that the Daimyo could not argue against, and with a relenting sigh, Tsunade knew that she had won. Their meeting had been adjourned shortly afterwards, once the Daimyo had sided with her and promised to grant both Itachi and Kisame asylum from persecution until after the war, if it ever came down to it (meaning if they weren't dead).

-A fact that pleased both Sakura and Tsunade greatly, though they did not show it, and they walked out victorious in their endeavors, Danzo trailing behind them shortly afterwards, his face contorted into a mixture of anger and astonishment. Whether the Daimyo had spoken or not, he would not leave things like this. "A moment, Haruno." Although un-pleased with her commentary in the meeting, which had inevitably swayed the Daimyo, his issue was not with her.

"Of course, Danzo-sama." Sakura bowed, sparing a glance to Tsunade, before she walked away.

Danzo waited a few more seconds until he knew she was out of ear-shot, before he began to speak. "You're making a huge mistake allowing Uchiha Itachi into our homes."

"Really? I'd say I'm saving my village -what are you doing?" Tsunade retorted effortlessly. "It seems that Sakura was right -you seem particularly against the Uchiha more than anything else. Why is that?"

Danzo hesitated. "What are you accusing me of, Tsunade?"

"You know _damn well_ what I'm accusing you of." Tsunade's eyes narrowed accusingly.

"I have no idea what you're-"

"Save it." Tsunade cut him off abruptly. "I know -you need deniability. And all concrete proof dies with Itachi, right? That's why you want him executed. Before he can talk." Tsunade was not dumb -she knew the moment Danzo had the chance he would cut Itachi off like he had cut so many other shinobi. Itachi had become a menace to him now, a variable he could no longer manipulate, and if he ever wanted to turn on Danzo now, he would not have anything to hold over his head -Sasuke was old enough, and Mikoto with enough favor in the village to secure her standing as well. And as for Saki, she was a promising young kunoichi always within an arms length of either her stupid Haruno teacher, or the other members of either her clan or the Haruno.

They were untouchable.

* * *

"Sakura, I must commend you. You wrapped him right around your finger."

Sakura chuckled. She had played him dirty, but it had been a necessary action. "I never knew I would be able to use the Uchiha Massacre as leverage against him like this." Sakura mused. "And he's none the wiser too."

Tsunade chuckled. "Are you sure you wouldn't want to be Hokage one day? You play the political anger superbly." Although her tone was playful, there was some truth in her words, a serious undertone behind it all. Not to say that Naruto wouldn't be a great Hokage one day too, given the time and practice, but Sakura had something that Naruto did not, and it was her intuition.

"I would break Naruto's heart right in two." Sakura laughed, shaking her head. "Plus, I can never see myself as Hokage -leading my clan will suffice as far as responsibilities go." Sakura smiled slightly.

Tsunade smiled in understanding. The job of Hokage was not for everyone; truthfully speaking, she hadn't even dreamt of taking up this role. Had it not been for Naruto, perhaps she never would have either. But she supposed Sakura was a free spirit, all the Harunos' were, and they perhaps didn't like how tedious it was to be tied down by responsibility.

Kami knew Sakura wasn't one to follow directions and protocol properly.

* * *

The next day had been as eventful as the one prior. Now that the arrangements for the war had been made and their armies were already moving, and Tsunade had now successfully informed both Danzo and the Daimyo of the cooperation of both rogue nin, they had more time to look into Itachi's suspicions -of which Jiraiya had confirmed had been correct. All across the Shinobi Nations there were reports of grave robbing, some bodies completely uprooted and taken, their tombs broken into and defiled. Needless to say, they would be expecting a lot more than just the Zetsu Clones, if the grave robbing across all the nations was true. They would need Suna's expert binding and sealing techniques.

But this had nothing to do with Sakura, nor Kisame or Itachi, and as such they were not forced to go; their sights were set on Madara, after all. Whether he reincarnated Sasori or Hidan or Kakuzu, or even other Kages, this responsibility would not fall on their hands.

Sakura had not had the time to speak to her Team 7 about the matter expressly pertaining to them, in particular because Kakashi had been in the hospital recuperating from his use of the Mangekyou, Sasuke had been busy organizing meetings between the Clan Heads in order for Tsunade to explain to them how she was breaking down responsibility and duties between them, and Naruto had yet to be notified that his team would be off fighting Madara without him.

But once he was finally told, he had marched straight to Sakura's home in outrage, to demand an answer.

"Sakura-chan, you can't go into battle with Madara! Especially not without _me!" _he stressed.

"You're in no position to make that call, Naruto." Sakura simply stated. "Tsunade has conversed heavily with the other Kages' on the matter. They believe this to be the best course of action.

"No, the best course of actions is to have Team 7 together!"

Even though Sasuke and Sakura, to a partial extent, had to agree to this, she knew that there were reasons why they couldn't just throw Naruto out to the front of the battlefield. There were too many risks involved with this, especially so early on in the war -if they lost Naruto early on morale would plummet, and they would be left to try and pick up the pieces that he had left behind. "Naruto." Sakura spoke seriously, for once not reprimanding him or yelling, or making any sort of dobe endearment to his name. "This is war, Naruto. We have to do what is best for our people. For Konoha."

Naruto's expression turned thoughtful. "I know that, Sakura-chan. And it's because of this that I need to be the one to defeat Madara." Sakura frowned. She didn't know what she could say to possibly make Naruto understand her. "Sakura-chan, you'll wait for me, won't you? To defeat him. All we need to do is defeat the Zetsu army, right? Then I'll be free to go." It happened very rarely, but this was one of those moments, where Naruto seemed to portray a maturity not his own.

"Technically yes, but-" Sasuke couldn't even finish responding.

"Then wait for me. I'll come, Dattebayo."

Sakura sighed, but relented with a small smile afterwards. "Hai, Naruto." She couldn't refuse him -she had done everything for him, after all.

Before any more words could be exchanged between them, suddenly there was a voice from the other side of the slide door. "Sakura-hime." It was Sayuri's voice. "Konan is here. She wishes to speak to you."

Sakura turned to face her teammates. "I have other matters to see to." And so she stood up. "Hai. Tell her I am on my way Sayuri."

* * *

"It seems like you've had a busy past couple of days." Konan stated. They were inside the dense forestry of cherry blossoms that encompassed the main household, and after greeting each other Sakura had told her everything that they had planned -this involved her as much as it did Sakura, after all.

"Hai." Sakura admitted regretfully.

"And when will this plan be set in motion?" Konan asked.

"As we speak, every nation is already preparing for war. Mei's troops are already on their way. Suna's troops will be mobilizing in two days time, and Konoha's, Kumo's, and Iwa's a day afterwards. We need to hurry, lest Madara mobilizes his troops first, after all."

Konan nods. "And what is it you want of me, Sakura-sama?"

Sakura sighed in frustration. Truth be told, she didn't hold quite as many answers as people believed her to have. She wasn't immensely powerful, or even smarter than Shikamaru or Itachi, and even if her kekkei genkai was rare, there were five other Harunos' with the same eye technique. "Have you even the slightest clue what it is that I'm supposed to do? I'm terribly, terribly lost, Konan." she admitted bitterly, Konan the only Haruno she wasn't truly afraid to confide in, perhaps because of the bigger age gap, or because Konan didn't depend on Sakura as much as the others did. And there Konan saw it, specks of frustration and fear playing in Sakura's eyes, muddled with confusion and anxiety. "This is what the prophecy foretold -I know it did." Sakura admitted. "But for the life of me I don't know what is expected of me. Without Itachi I would't have been able to even beat Orochimaru on my own. How am I suppose to do so with Madara?" she stated honestly.

Konan's expression softened, her hand on Sakura's shoulder for comfort. "If there is one thing that I have learned from my short time within the Haruno Clan, Sakura, it's that the true limitations of our strength have yet to be realized. Sacred blood courses through our veins. Even if we may not see it now, the path will be revealed to us." Konan admitted.

"Well we're running out of time." Sakura didn't mean to lash out at Konan, honest to god, but she couldn't help it; she was frustrated and anxious of what was to come, and so her tone came out snippy.

Konan allowed a small smile to appear on her features, not at all affected by Sakura's attitude. "Our power is at its strongest when we are born, you know." She began casually. "We are unable to control the power of the Gods within us. I remember when you were first born, plants and trees all around you bloomed all year long. You would touch the ground and flowers would instantly bloom. The rest of you were too young to remember at the time." Konan stated casually, remembering it clear as day. She had returned to the village at fifteen, arriving just in time for Sakura's first year of birth. She hadn't been entirely sure why at the time, but she had been housed within the inner branch of the clan. She wouldn't come to understand until a year later that her power was unique, and limited to only the children of Kikyou's direct family.

"What does this have to do with anything?" Sakura scowled. As interesting as that sounded, how did it even pertain to Sakura's worries?

"What I'm trying to say, Sakura, is that despite your being a Haruno, you have been raised for a better part of your life without our Haruno ancestry; we all have, truth be told. Our Haruno way has been lost to us; it's secrets, its true strengths; its limitations. There is power locked within you; locked within all of us, that even we aren't aware of. Had I stayed within the clan longer, perhaps I would understand more about what it is that was truly foretold of you. But there is not a doubt in my mind that you will be the key to our victory in this war. We just don't know how yet."

Sakura frowned. "And how will it be discovered?"

If Konan knew the answer, she didn't show it. "Only you know the answer to that." Her back facing Sakura, she looked up at the starry night sky with a small frown on her face. Frankly, she believed to know the answer, but she had not the heart to say it.

Akin to the Uchiha, a lot of their power was derived through strong emotions -particularly pain, although she did not know what this meant for Sakura -she did have a hunch though, but she dare not say it.

"What will you do now?" Sakura changed the subject, the conversation clearly dead.

"I will go speak to Nagato and inform him of what you've told him. Regardless of what he decides, I will not leave you alone in battle, Sakura-sama. You have my word in that. If you are to face Madara, I will stand alongside you as well."

"But won't Nagato need to be protected as well?" Sakura reasoned.

"Nagato is capable of fairing well enough on his own. So long as we relocate him somewhere safe, perhaps it won't be too dangerous to leave him alone."

Sakura nodded and said nothing more on the matter. "Before you leave, set up a pathway with Marika so we can contact you safely if need be." Marika's flower was the only one capable of sending these messages, the very same that she used with Shisui, after all, and they were the safest method of communicating -these messages could not be intercepted like others, after all.

"Hai, Sakura-sama."

* * *

**End of Chapter**

**So in regards to Itachi, I wanted to keep the plot of the original manga relatively the same. I feel like the inclusion of his impending death adds more drama to the story as a whole C: Let me know how you guys feel about it. Of course, this kind of foreshadows what will be occurring later on in the story, but DO NOT BE ALARMED! I do not plan to make this a tragic ending. You'll just have to wait and see ^_^.**

**A little heart to heart between Sakura and Itachi, and one with Kisame and Itachi as well :3. I really want to portray their friendship in a manner that I sometimes feel the anime/manga didn't get a chance to because of its irrelevance to the plot. - Plus, although random, I felt the little fight with Hiroto and Itachi was justified just because they're so tense and they didn't have an outlet for it. And although I haven't really focused much on Naruto, I do ****adamantly believe him to be the hero of the Naruto universe (duh), so he, as well as Sasuke, will also have their time to shine when the moment calls for it :3.**

**Anyway, that's all I have to say for now on the matter. Any and all feedback will be much appreciated. Reviews for this story have been pretty disheartening as of late (a reason for the late update), so I might take a break on this story for a while and focus on either school or other projects. **

**-MarzSpy**


	20. War

**Hi everyone! Sorry it's taken me a while to post this. Hopefully the next chapter will not take nearly as long. More A/N at the end of the chapter, but for now I'll let you all get started on this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters in any way, shape, or form.**

**Chapter 20: War**

* * *

_Marika had had the chance to leave the village momentarily for one final meeting with the same man she had been taking care of for over eleven years -granted, this had only been possible thanks to Himawari's help and Sakura's blessing to go (although the pretext was to inform him of what the Kages had decided on, Sakura knew that perhaps simply writing to him would not be enough for her elder sister)._

_But now, here she stood in front of the elder Uchiha, and she could do nothing more than tighten her hand into small fists and ignore the gnawing, aching feeling in her heart as she continued to talk to Shisui about the war effort._

_"So who is set to go fight alongside Sakura?" Shisui asked._

_"Sasuke, Itachi, Kisame, Kakashi, Hiroto, Himawari, Sayuri, and our other kinsmen from the Akatsuki, Konan, formerly known as Kaede." _

_Shisui nodded sternly -all for one man, potentially two with the inclusion of Orochimaru. A true testament of Madara's talent. "Tell her I will join the war effort, then." It hardly seemed appropriate to him that his own village, whether he hadn't set foot in it for over a decade now, was at war with his kinsmen, one of the founding fathers of Konoha, and he would simply sit here, after all._

_Marika hesitated. "Will you be joining Sakura-chan's elite squad?"_

_"I will join my family, Marika." Shisui affirmed with a different statement. It was his duty, and Itachi's, and Sasuke's, to put an end to the Curse of Hatred that had clearly consumed Madara._

_Marika hesitated, a small frown appearing on her face. What if he didn't make it? What if she didn't make it? __"Shisui... I-" she couldn't stand to think that she would never get another chance to tell him how she really felt (hell, it had been the very reason she even wanted to come here in the first place). As such, even if it embarrassed the life out of her, she would tell him, tell him of how she felt, how she had always felt._

_"Don't." he stopped her with a small, cheesy smile. "Don't tell me what you're about to because you think this is the last time you'll see me." He interrupted her, and even though his statement was hard to follow, Marika understood. He knew what she felt, and didn't want her to tell him?_

_Marika frowned. "But...-" If he knew what she wanted to say, what she felt, then why was he stopping her? More than that, why was he not telling her if he reciprocated those same feelings? She swore if war wasn't staring at them in the face she would consider murdering the nin._

_"But nothing." Shisui shook his head, approaching Marika. "Everything will be fine, and then maybe afterwards I'll consider hearing you out." __Marika frowned and turned to punch Shisui, although he easily grabbed her fist and brought it to his lips, the first blatantly affectionate action he had ever done to her since she had first met him, and it brought an instant blush to her face. "And then I can also say what's been on my mind, but not like this." He removed her hands from his lips, although this was not to mean that he had released her altogether just yet. His hands hovered on her own for several seconds, his black eyes never leaving Marika's own pink ones, but he retreated with a small smile. "Marika, I'm hungry. Make me some food?"_

_Although confused as to what had just happened, Marika couldn't help but smile slightly. "Hai..."_

* * *

It was a relatively quiet day in the Haruno Compound, left barren despite the many it was currently housing. Sakura was off with Tsunade to speak to Danzo and the Daimyo in regards to the temporary asylum, an act long-overdue but rightfully so prolonged. Marika and Daichi respectively were meeting with their platoons, Sayuri was off training with Himawari, Hiroto was training and simultaneously notifying his Genin Team (minus Saki) that he would be part of a covert squad so he would not be with them for the following days, and Naruto and Sasuke were with Kakashi helping Shizune coordinate the movement of troops alongside Shikamaru and Jiraiya in Tsunade's stead.

As such, only Kisame, Itachi, Saki, and Mikoto remained in the household, and despite the fact that these strangers had been staying at her house for nearly the entirety of a week, Saki had yet to fully converse with them, or figure out who they were (and why they were welcome here, despite their slashed headbands which she had caught a glimpse of by sheer coincidence). She had been busy, if not held up training with Hiroto and the remainder of her Team, then she had been sent off to sleep over at a friend's house -clearly whatever was going on, she was not meant to find out, perhaps to keep her safe, and although she disliked having to be coddled, she knew they were perhaps doing this for the better.

But Saki was not dumb, and she was keenly aware of the fact that most of her family members were going off to fight a war mere days from now, with a high probability of them not coming back. She, along with everyone else in the village, had been notified of the upcoming war and the precautions that the village would be taking accordingly, and she knew her extended, make-shift family to be some of the best in this village -it came as no surprise that they would be going out too.

While Mikoto was left to prepare lunch, this gave Saki time to quietly observe the two rogue shinobi, first from afar and then gradually getting closer and closer. Although the two nin noticed her, they paid her no mind and pretended to not have seen her. She had gradually come to sit next to them, and proceeded to stare at them, almost as if analyzing them, for the longest time, even though Kisame couldn't blame her for this. They were anything but inconspicuous, and given their out-of-the-blue appearance and them clearly hiding out here, he would be wary of them too.

"I think I'm going to go lie down for a little bit." Kisame suddenly declared as he began to slowly stand. Truth be told, he wasn't the least by tired, but now that he knew what he knew, he couldn't stand to just be there and not do anything to try and allow some bonding time with Itachi and his family -and not to mention Sakura, although it seemed her plate was full with other things for the time being.

Itachi acknowledged his leaving with a nod, although he pretended to not care as suddenly only he and Saki were left alone.

The silence was not thick, nor awkward, but merely there as Saki silently examined Itachi -his long dark locks, those eyes which seemed so very familiar to her, and aristocratic cheek bones that could make him seem near beautiful in her eyes. And as she did this, Itachi merely remained quiet, minding his own business drinking his tea, knowing that she was bound to ask questions about his appearance here -or his identity, first and foremost, sooner or later.

The questions finally came three minutes later -but not a question he had honestly expected. "Do you like Sakura-oneesama?"

Itachi blinked. Of all questions to ask, she asks this one? "Hai." he responded curtly -there was no use in denying it anyway, and he would not begin his relationship with his younger sister on lies. Everyone already knew as it was, regardless -why attempt to hide what was blatantly obvious to everyone else?

Saki nodded, as if accepting this answer. "She likes you too." she said with a small, calm smile. She had not seen Sakura so flustered around a man before, with the exception of the one night at the Gala -she had been dancing with the very same man who had helped her obtain her sweets, she had noticed long ago, and with this realization came another one -perhaps this is why that man seemed so familiar. "We've met before, haven't we?" Itachi nodded in response. "Hiroto was your name..." she recalled.

That was right -they had all been very careful of directly addressing both Kisame and him (but more so Itachi) by name, in case she would recognize them, so she didn't know him by anything other than the alias he had taken up at the Gala, now that she had connected the dots. But he would not correct her on this misconception of hers, he supposed.

"Hai." He was not necessarily lying -Hiroto had been the name of the person he was disguising himself as. But he was tricking her into thinking this was his name, although it wouldn't matter too much in the grand scheme of things.

A smile appeared on her features, as suddenly the man before her morphed into someone she felt comfortable with. Although she had had her suspicions upon first seeing him, she had no way of proving she had met him before, other than the strong urge of liking him despite not knowing who he was.

"Do you want to see the jutsu I've been working on?"

Itachi blinked and turned to her, intrigued at her sudden question. "A jutsu?"

Saki beamed, glad that she had garnered his attention. Truth be told, she had been itching to show Sakura-oneesama and Sasuke-niisan, but in between their missions and their recovery and the sudden war over their heads, it had never been the appropriate time to bring it up. "My own rendition of Sasuke-nii's Chidori and Sakura-oneesama's strength. It's not quite perfected but it's coming along pretty great. I wanted to show Sakura-oneesama my progress but she's been really busy recently."

Itachi nodded in agreement. "Very well." And as such, he began to stand, inwardly happy to see Saki beaming so vibrantly. At least he could say he would be able to see Saki's strength before his passing. Would she be just as good as Sasuke was at her age? No -she'd be stronger, if her early graduation, obtainment of the Mangekyou, and the tutelage of not just Hiroto, but Kakashi, Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura (all shinobi with exception skills in their own respects) was an indication of anything.

* * *

Mikoto was slightly surprised to see Kisame in the kitchen -but once she realized that Saki was alongside Itachi, observing him quizzically, she understood that he was just trying to be respectful and allow Itachi some much belated time with his sister.

Not wanting Kisame to feel awkward, she began conversation with him. "Saki's really taken a strong liking to you." she began casually. "Although I'm not particularly sure if it's because of your personality or your physical characteristics."

Kisame scoffed. "Either one would make her the first, regardless." But even as he said this, he couldn't help but smile slightly. She was a pretty alright little kid.

Mikoto stifled a laugh. "I guess you're not very used to kids, are you?"

"I can't say I am." Kisame frowned. Truth be told kids irked him, them and their idiotic innocence and naivete and obnoxiousness. But Saki was quiet -she was thoughtful and although energetic and full of life, she exuded this in a different manner. In a light that sort of reminded him of the child Sakura he had met a decade ago. "Why have you guys not told her of Itachi's identity?" he suddenly asked, curious to know why none had even questioned Itachi on the matter.

Mikoto allowed a sigh to escape her lips. "Truth be told, we're not entirely sure how Saki will react. I figured we'd have more time to slowly introduce her to him after the war, so I haven't pushed anything upon Itachi."

Although Mikoto couldn't see it from her location, Kisame's knuckles turned white from the sheer force of her tightening fist. "No...-" But he couldn't say anything -had promised not to, and even if Mikoto looked at him with confusion, he could mutter nothing else on the matter. "Iee. Never mind."

Mikoto blinked a few times before a small smile graced her features. "I'm confident in your abilities, Kisame. In Itachi's, and Sakura's, and Sasuke's, and everyone else's. I know everyone will return to me safe and sound."

"Ahh..." Kisame acknowledged Mikoto sullenly.

Mikoto didn't know what to make of Kisame's reaction, but assumed it had to do with his anxiety over the matter -he was not wrong for having these fears, but Mikoto simply wanted to remain optimistic. "Come here Kisame. How about you help me prepare lunch?"

And so it had been, Kisame preparing lunch for the first time in many years as he continued to converse with Mikoto all the while. She was actually quite surprised that Kisame seemed knowledgeable in the art of cooking, even. Once lunch was essentially prepared, Mikoto removed her apron and hung it back up. "I'll go alert Itachi and Saki that lunch is ready. You can start serving yourself, if you'd like."

Mikoto had not waited for a response as she trudged down the hallways, but upon opening the shoji door, she found that her two children (in a manner of speaking, because one was no longer a child) were no longer sitting down at the table, but rather, that Itachi was examining Saki's fighting stance outside. "Your shoulders are too tense; your incoming attack is obvious." He spoke as Saki attempted to charge at him, but he easily deflected it by side-stepping, and for good measure sticking his foot out to trip Saki. Although she fumbled and nearly fell, Itachi was beside her in an instant, stabilizing her by holding onto her shoulders. "See? Predictable." There was this gleeful, amused smile adorning his features, and it made Mikoto's heart flutter in happiness, instant tears appearing in her eyes. She had truthfully speaking not seen her son visibly happy like this since the last time he had been training Sasuke in a similar fashion.

This seemed to go on for a little while longer, Saki simply trying to disarm Itachi from his kunai, but to no avail, and eventually she gave up with an indignant puff of her cheeks, her arms crossed across her chest. "This is even more frustrating than with Sasuke-nii." she admitted begrudgingly. Itachi approached her then with an amused chuckle, lifting his hand and poking her on the forehead with his two fingers. "You'll improve." But this was when he finally noticed Mikoto at the doorway, and knowing this meant lunch was served, he began to walk away. "Lunch is ready."

But Saki was decidedly still by the small clearing behind the house for several seconds longer, seemingly distracted by something, before she turned, stared at Hiroto (As Saki believed him to be named), nodded, and followed quickly behind him.

* * *

"I will fight with you."

Konan blinked; once, twice. "What? No." She frowned. "This is a safe spot for you, Nagato. You should remain here."

"And allow you to fight without me? You are being unreasonable, Konan." Nagato reasoned, his exhausted eyes staring at her through the large bangs covering his face.

"So what? You're going to go and fight and put yourself at risk of getting your eyes taken from you? Putting yourself in a vulnerable position where you could possibly be _killed?" _Nagato didn't understand. Madara knew of his Six Paths of Pain technique -knew how it worked, and knew of its weaknesses. For him to mobilize them, since he had to remain in hiding and as such remain underground, he would have to be close to the battlefield, which would prompt Madara to use his senjutsu chakra to location him, and take his eyes. And not only would he kill Nagato, but he would also become that much harder to defeat.

"Is it fair to run away from a fight that I started?" Konan frowned. Chances were he would die, and Nagato knew she was thinking this simply by the way she was looking at him. "If I die it'll be on my own conscious Konan, not yours. I cannot stand back and watch your kinsmen fight a war they had nothing to do with." They were at the heart of it all, and their peace idealisms resonated strongly with his own, and it wasn't fair.

"We cannot leave your body defenseless. He will take advantage of it. And never mind that; if you're not at a high altitude you won't even be able to control the Paths." Konan muttered, looking away from him, not able to stand the fact that she could do nothing to change his mind.

"Which is why I will relocate within the boundaries of the war."

Konan's eyes widened. That was death in itself. "No, I will stay with you, I-"

"Your heir will be out there risking her for a war I started." Nagato interjected. "Your place is alongside her and you know it."

"My place is alongside you, Nagato." She refused, shaking her head profusely, the words she wanted to say, had always wanted to say, stuck in her throat.

Nagato couldn't help but smile at Konan's words. "You have been by my side through thick and thin; I truly do not deserve all the kindness you have given me." If only he could, for one last time, feel the smooth skin on her cheek, perhaps he could die happy one day. "I will not argue about this. Any more time we waste on these petty arguments is time people will die to stop a cause I created. I need to be relocated."

And so it had been, and Konan reluctantly complied with Nagato's demands, even if just the thought made her heart want to cry out.

* * *

"Tsunade has given us orders to leave by tonight."

It was a statement that Sakura knew was coming, simply by the way that Sasuke was looking at her, but Sakura had never expected it to make her fill with so much dread. Her body felt heavy by the weight of his words, knowing that once they stepped foot out of Konoha, that it was done. They could not turn back, and they would walk on towards an uncertain fate at the hands of Madara.

She had been meditating in her study when Sasuke had interrupted her, having just gotten back from a meeting with Tsunade. "Well it was about time, I guess." Sakura sighed. Their armies were already in place, and the covert special ops team (dubbed Team Sakura, due to their belief in the prophecy) was the only one left to actually leave. They had bid Marika, Daichi, and Naruto goodbye (although they had simply said "I'll see you later," because "Goodbye" seemed too permanent) a day ago, and all that had been left for them to do was wait for Tsunade's orders. "We will leave after dinner, then. Inform Kakashi-sensei, onegai."

"I already have." Sasuke merely stated, watching as Sakura suddenly stood from her meditating pose. She was dressed in a blue long-sleeve with her green Jounin flak over it, standard shinobi attire he had never actually seen her wear. Then again, he was donning an identical outfit too. "Are you nervous?" he finally spoke, after examining her figure.

Sakura turned to look at him curiously. "Are you?"

He didn't want to answer -didn't know how to. Truth be told, his world was turning upside down. Just after getting his family back, after getting Itachi back and finding out the truth behind the Massacre, suddenly they had to go and face the very man behind it, and he knew it was unrealistic to think they would all make it back. "I don't know what I feel." he admitted begrudgingly.

Sakura smiled slightly and approached him. "Then feel hopeful." she brought her hands up to his face and brought it down to her height, laying a soft kiss upon his forehead. "Anxiety does not suit your features, Sasuke-chan."

She appeared mature beyond her years -he didn't know if it was because of the endearment she had used, or because of the utterly calm expression on her features and the confidence she exuded. But it brought his racing heart to a calm despite the embarrassing blush on his features (For Kami's sake, he was no longer a kid! What made her think she could treat him as one?). "You know we're the same age, right?"

"You'll always be five years my junior whether you want to admit it or not." Sakura laughed slightly. As she said this, she began to walk away, but Sasuke stopped her momentarily by placing his hand upon her wrist.

"You really believe everything will be fine?" he asked seriously.

Sakura looked up at him with a serene smile. "Hai Sasuke-chan. I do." There was a hesitant silence, but shortly afterwards Sasuke released his grip on Sakura's wrist and allowed her to walk away.

It wasn't until she rounded the corner that Sakura allowed a small frown to appear on her features.

_Would things be fine?_

She was basing everything off of the one premonition of the future that she had had many years ago, while in the past; the premonition of her, Sasuke, Naruto, and Sai at Ichiraku's, and Itachi with Saki.

Because in that vision, they were all okay -and they were the ones impending an uncertain Fate at the hands of Madara. But she knew to take this vision with a grain of salt -it was but one of many possible endings, but nevertheless, one she intended to see through to the end.

**(A/N: Refer back to Sakura's New Past)**

* * *

Dinner had been quiet, especially without the exciting presence of Marika or Naruto to help the normally boisterous bunch. Even Saki had taken on a sort of sullen expression, silently eating her food despite Mikoto's best attempts to liven up the mood.

But this could not be helped -especially not once presented with the news that they would all be leaving after dinner.

After dinner, the empty plates had been left at the table, Mikoto for once making the exception. Instead, she walked out to the front door with her family, Haruno and other non-Uchiha alike, and embraced them each individually -in fact, Saki was doing the same.

"You come back to us safe, okay, Sasuke? Itachi?" She did her best to hold back her tears, as she held a hand from each of her sons. "We have to reunite our family once you come back; with Shisui-kun too."

Itachi and Sasuke exchanged glances. "Hai, Okaa-san." Afterwards, she brought them in for an embrace.

She and Saki did this to each one of them individually, as they had all done for Marika, Daichi, and Naruto the day before (with the exception of Saki not feeling familiar enough to "Hiroto" and Kisame to do so, although she did give them a hesitant half-smile).

She had grown accustomed to the strangers in her home, and actually had a pleasant time with them -the blue one was funny, and the dark-haired one, although quiet, was pleasant company. Saki knew what they were doing, where they were going, but tried her best to not think about it. They would all come back home safely, after all.

Mikoto seemed in near tears, but she did her best to not cry in order to put up face for her daughter, as the group of eight shinobi looked at each other, as if asking if they were all ready to set off on their mission. With one last look at Saki and Mikoto, they turned around and began to walk away. Saki noticed this, and clung onto her mother's hand to try and comfort her. "Okaa-san."

"Yes, Saki-chan?"

"That man... next to Sakura-oneesama... he's my brother, isn't he?" Even though she was asking, there seemed to be a knowing expression on her face, almost as if she didn't even need the confirmation from her Okaa-san. Her eyes were calm, her features unaffected by the realization, as she watched the retreating figures of her brothers, both walking alongside each other casually -_despite the fact that one had killed their family_.

Mikoto did her best to not let the tear escape her. "Hai... he's your Nii-san."

Saki turned to watch their retreating figures with sadness. She had known the very moment he had poked her on the forehead, an act which Sasuke-nii always did to her and had once said was passed down from the family. "Why didn't he say anything to me?" she asked curiously, hiding her tears from her mother.

"He doesn't want to taint you... to bring you into the darkness that he's forced to walk down." Mikoto wiped away her tears, trying her best to show her daughter a smile.

Saki frowned, turning to look from her mother to the retreating figure of her oldest brother once more. She knew of the atrocities he had committed and the underlying darkness behind his name; despite this, not once had either Mikoto or Sasuke spoken ill of him, the very few times Saki had mustered up the courage to ask about him. Why? "He's a nice man, right?"

"The nicest man you could ever meet." Mikoto answered with a smile. "He's saved Sakura on many occasions, you know. Sakura, and Sasuke, and this entire village too."

Saki smiled a little at this. "I'd like to get to know him once he comes back."

Mikoto wiped her tears and looked from Saki to her two sons. "I'm sure he'd like that too Saki-chan."

* * *

Unsurprisingly, Tsunade and the other four Kage had been standing there, waiting for the group of eight to arrive by the village gates. Sakura had stepped up among the group and approached the Kage, formally bowing before them. "Tsunade-shishou." she greeted her mentor, and then bowed respectfully towards the other Kage. "We are heading out now as planned."

"Hai. I know." Tsunade acknowledged, her eyes showing traces of remorse. "I want you to summon a portion of Katsuyu once you're there, so we can all keep in touch."

"Hai." Sakura nodded in understanding.

"Do the Allied Shinobi Forces proud, Sakura." Mei added as words of encouragement, standing behind Tsunade with her fellow Kage. Sakura looked at the remaining Kage, who simply nodded her way. Words did not have to be exchanged between the rest of them to express how important their mission was, clearly.

"Please, be safe... all of you." As she said this she gave a pointed look at Kisame and Itachi; they were included in the close-knit group of shinobi who she trusted (don't ask her why, but they were).

Sakura nodded at Tsunade sternly, before returning to her team members and heading out of the village gates.

* * *

That night, they had taken a detour to their original destination, and headed directly north, to a location only Sasuke, Itachi, Sakura, and Marika had ever been before.

Although confused, none of them dare question Sakura, who had already coordinated with Shisui. She had no right to deny him the right of fighting Madara if he so chose to, just like Konan. Plus, it never hurt to have more help, she decided.

Although his house was not the biggest, they would spend the night there, and leave once more at dawn to Mountain's Graveyard.

And then from there...

_'Madara...'_

From there Madara, and whatever awaited them there.

Shisui had accordingly planned for their arrival and had made sure to have enough food and space to house so many guests. "I wish I could say its a pleasure to see you all." Shisui had greeted them with a small, hesitant smile of sorts, and allowed the group of shinobi to enter before the villagers nearby became fearful of the clear shinobi that had entered their small village.

And although they were cramped, they had all made due with sitting down on the floor as they began to discuss the way that things would play out tomorrow. "Where is it that you may need me most, Sakura?" Shisui questioned, eyeing the other seven shinobi around him.

Sakura contemplated this. "Truth be told, I'm not entirely sure. Konan, a kinsmen of mine will also be joining our group. She must first relocate a teammate of hers, containing the Rinnegan."

"A gift Madara will surely set his sights on." Shisui understood with a nod.

"Hai. Perhaps it would not be a bad idea to have you accompany her for the time being, and regroup with us once he is deemed safe." Because truth be told, this was a huge risk they were all taking (Madara with a Rinnegan? No thank you), but they had their own mission to uphold; Shisui did not.

Shisui nodded. "I shall do as you ask. Will she be meeting us here?"

"Iee. But I can inform her of your involvement so she worries not, as well as set up a destination for you two to meet."

Shisui nodded. "Hai." If this was the role he would play in this war, so be it. He turned to looked at Sasuke and Itachi, a small smile gracing his features. Until now, he had yet to see them together like this, and it brought a sort of inner calm he hadn't truly expected. "I take it you met with Mikoto-Obasan and Saki?" he addressed his statement to Itachi.

Itachi shifted his weight. "Ahh." by the tension in Itachi's eyes, the elder Uchiha knew he did not wish to talk about it, and simply let it drop. He had a feeling Saki knew not of his identity, after all.

"Anyway, it is late." Shisui addressed the group of nin. "You are all free to use the shower if you'd like. As for me, I think I'll be going to bed now."

It was past midnight, easily, and they still had a long journey ahead of them tomorrow, in between travelling to their destination and coordinating with Tsunade and other officials. Although the quickest way would be to cross into Otogakure and go from water from there, this was a risk they could not take, knowing that Orochimaru was somehow involved with Madara. As such, they had to sneak around Otogakure and enter Yugakure, an act already permitted by their Daimyo, and from there make their way into Yuki no Kuni in order to cross over the sea. This would easily increase their trip by at least six to eight hours, and that was not including the times they would stop for breaks and what not.

But all in all, this was not at all an unfeasible journey. They would stop at Yugakure to confirm their safe passing, then stop for the night and Yuki no Kuni and plan accordingly with their respective Daimyo for safe passage through the sea directly north of Otogakure and Yugakure, and leave while the sun was still down the next morning, in time to arrive at Mountain's Graveyard just before dawn approached. Relatively peaceful and trusting nations, Sakura was not at all surprised that they were supporting this covert operation assigned to them, and even willing to go as far as giving them boats if they so chose to use them.

Although it would help with the exhaustion, it would take them longer to cross the sea and would make them more conspicuous, as such they had politely turned down the offer. Given Madara's senjutsu, they wanted to get there as quickly as possible and attack not long afterwards, after all.

But this was all thoughts for another day. Sakura was tired, smelly, and wanted nothing more than a nice hot bath. Due to her meditating for most of the morning, she had not had the chance to shower like the others -so rightly so, she excused herself for a shower, just as everyone began to set up their sleeping bags and accommodate themselves as best as possible within Shisui's small quarters.

* * *

By the time Sakura had emerged from the bathroom, she found it dark outside, all the lights off; most of everyone was already in their sleeping bags, resting for the day to come. She noticed that Itachi's own was left bare an untouched, and could see his shadow (thanks to the moonlight) behind the shoji door. With her hair still damp, she draped her towel over her shoulders and silently walked outside, not entirely surprised that Itachi was sitting there alone, staring at the quiet, dark scenery before him.

"Can't sleep?" Sakura began casually, approaching him with a small, hesitant smile on her features.

"Hn. Neither can you." he observed, turning to glance at her, and motioning for her to take a seat alongside him.

She complied and did so, their shoulders brushing as she brought her knees to her chest. "I've never lived through a war before." Sakura acknowledged solemnly, her chin resting on her knees as she looked forward into the blackness.

"Ahh." Itachi nodded, understanding her feelings. He had been but five years old when the Third Shinobi War was raging in his very home; five years old when the Kyuubi attacked and nearly decimated half the village. It had been downright frightening to feel so vulnerable, to feel so helpless, and not be able to help those he loved, such as his Okaa-san or Sasuke; to protect them from the imminent danger of the world and the evil that encompassed it.

And he had been living his entire life to achieve this goal; so he had no doubts about what was to come. But Sakura? He was sure this was all relatively new to her, and she must feel frightened knowing that the prophecy foretold of her defeating Madara, but, as competent a kunoichi as she may be, her strength was nowhere near that of Madara's, and he knew this to be the reason of her uncertainty, among other reasons.

"Are you afraid?" Sakura questioned him finally. Despite this being a sign of weakness, Sakura knew he would not lie to her.

"Iee." Itachi admitted, although this was not to mean that he did not have regrets. "I have come to terms with war and its inevitable nature; especially revolving around the Uchiha Clan." Itachi frowned slightly, looking from Sakura to the dark forest beyond them. "Perhaps it is for the better that the Uchiha are so limited in number. The Curse of Hatred is not one many can escape from." he admitted, his eyes softening. He was envious of the Harunos' pacifist nature. Perhaps if his clan had similar beliefs things would not have progressed as they had.

Sakura frowned. "But you did; and Sasuke-kun did, and Shisui, Mikoto, and Saki too."

"Hai." Itachi acknowledged. "But perhaps this has more to do with you than with us." Without Sakura's intervention in the past, only Kami knew where Sasuke would have ended up, although he had a hunch it would have been at the clutches of Madara. Despite this, Itachi once more turned to her, a calm, serene expression in his eyes. "Arigatou, Sakura."

Sakura couldn't help the blush that appeared on her features from his intense gaze, but she ignored it momentarily. "Iee. I should thank you. I've gained a new perspective on life because of you." she admitted, and just because she freaking _felt like it_, she allowed her head to rest upon Itachi's shoulder.

Although shocked, Itachi was not one to deny the pink-haired kunoichi. He did however lean over, his lips brushing hesitantly over the top of her still-damp pink locks. "I'm glad I've made a lasting impact."

Sakura smiled against his arm, but said no more as the two simply watched the starry night sky together, until eventually she too succumbed to sleep. Needless to say, Itachi had picked her up like the dainty flower she was, and tucked her into her sleeping bag, and laid down upon his own right across from her.

And through the darkness he watched her, examining her beautiful, delicate sleeping features for what would perhaps be the last time.

* * *

For miles on end, it seemed, in the middle of a stark barren land, thousands of small lamps shone brightly against the night sky. Although most were resting, in one particular tent comprised of two Haruno, not one dare rest a wink.

Although not typically a worrying type, Daichi could not stop himself from shifting uncomfortably in his sleeping bag. As much as he adamantly protested Sayuri's attitude and annoying love for battle, he could not out of good conscious say he did not love his cousin dearly; perhaps more than the other Haruno Clan members. "Should we really have done it?" he spoke out-loud seriously. He knew Marika was awake too, simply staring at the ceiling of their shared tent, her thoughts on a similar matter. "Maybe Sakura was right."

Marika frowned. "As right as she may have been, none of them would have stood in the sidelines knowing where Sakura-chan was going." Marika admitted. Even she, who was now eerily acknowledging the fact that Sakura perhaps had had a basis for calling them idiots, would go to stand along her younger sister's side if possible, even if it meant death, in the blink of an eye. "But does it do us any good to wonder this anyway? What's done is done. You should get some rest Daichi. We have a big day ahead of us." Marika admitted begrudgingly, turning to the side and staring at the small lamp.

Daichi sighed but said no more, as he too turned over, opposite of Marika. "Oyasuminasai."

* * *

Before the sun had even broken through the horizon, they were all already up. Their tents had been packed and abandoned (they would not be needed in the battlefield, after all), their small breakfasts eaten, and their gear packed.

Ahead of everyone else stood two female shinobi, with three more trailing behind them, standing upon a cliff and staring beyond them.

_This is it._

"Tsunade-sama, we've received word from Mei, Gaara, Onoki and A." Marika, one of the shinobi standing behind her Kage, bowed respectfully as she spoke. "Onoki has already began his attack; all seems to be going well, and Mei and Gaara are waiting until the out pour of Zetsu clones reach them. A is in position with Killer Bee, and have had no incidents as of yet. In addition, I've received word from Sakura-chan. Their team has just crossed over the sea. Their ETA is one hour."

Tsunade acknowledged Marika with a wave of her hand, turning back to stare at the now rising sun.

Dawn marked the start of the war (at least for her army, as Onoki and Gaara's armies should have already started sometime within the afternoon the day prior), and with the sun rise came the realization that there was no longer time for preparation. Shizune looked at Tsunade, as if telling her it was time, and with a sigh, Tsunade removed her tunic, allowing Shizune to grab it and fold it in her arms. "Let's get started then." As she said this she turned to look at the other remaining shinobi, Naruto, Marika, and Daichi. "Daichi, alert Shikamaru that we're mobilizing our troops. Marika, go join your fleet." With a bow, they both did as they were told, and Naruto was the only one left, staring straight at Tsunade with determination in his cerulean orbs. "Naruto, you stick with me."

He nodded wordlessly, and simply watched as Tsunade turned to Shizune. "Go make sure Jiraiya woke up and tell him I need him by my side."

"Hai." With one more bow, she took off.

Tsunade sighed as Naruto approached her. "This is it, kid." she stated, the sun rising more and more.

Naruto did not seem to share her apprehension, despite the fact that _she_ was the seasoned war veteran, not him. "Let's just hurry up so we can go help Sakura-chan." he stated seriously. So long as Sakura and Sasuke stayed true to their promise and waited for him, then he would deliver.

_He would come to save them, and defeat Madara, Dattebayo_

* * *

Once Team Sakura had touched down on soil, they had looked for a place to hide, easily finding a location among the large, thick forestry that encompassed Sangaku no Hakaba. They would wait for Tsunade's signal, and attack only after the initial attacks had been launched from all sides.

It was around this time that they received word from Shisui through a message by bird, which informed them that he had reached the location. He would wait with Konan, and have her lead the way, and after they were done with their particular mission, they would head over to help Sakura.

An easy enough plan.

But this state of un-moving made Sakura restless and gave her the distraction needed to once more begin panicking at the prospect of entering battle.

_'No Sakura.' _she reprimanded herself. '_You have to remain objective.' _But that was easier said than done, in any case. Regardless of her thoughts, Sakura made the appropriate handsigns and summoned a small sliver of slug.

"Lady Sakura." it greeted courteously.

"Katsuyu." Sakura greeted with an earnest smile. It had been a long time since she had seen the summon, although she was considerably smaller, just a portion of her mass summoned, as she was probably spread all over this war too. "Have the troops began moving?"

"I have received word that Gaara and Onoki have begun their movement; they should clash with Madara's forces any time now."

Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat. "Then we should get moving soon." As she said this she turned to face the enormous bone-like structures, stretching for miles and miles on end at the heart of Mountain's Graveyard. Somewhere within their confines was Madara's secret lair, and chances were they would find Madara there, if he was not taking an active role in this war (which she had a hunch he would wait until he could locate the bijuu). But what else would they find?

"We should tread carefully from here onward. We don't know what to expect." Kakashi warned, pulling down his mask to reveal his lone Sharingan eye.

Although none spoke in agreement, they all nodded and began to move, a little slower than usual, but this was perhaps to make sure they did not alert Madara of their presence. The forestry around them was not dense, but it was large in stature, to the point where they could hardly even see the mountain before them until they had finally reached the end of it. Although they could neither feel nor hear the battle that must have begun somewhere south of their current location, they did notice a large flock of birds flying towards them, coming from the location they knew to be Gaara's.

The war had started, and at this time Sakura activated her Hanabira-me and instructed a cherry blossom to erect itself before her. She approached it, and placing a palm on its roots, she pushed some chakra into it and allowed her eyes to close momentarily.

And within this the network of roots she could feel that the mountain itself was the lair, built with its own elaborate and ornate hallways, although she couldn't figure out what exactly was in them (or why he had so many, not to mention). But the thousands of Zetsu clones that Konan had informed her of were no longer there, which meant that he had literally emptied his reserves.

But she could not feel him within the mountain, and with a furled scowl she withdrew from her contract and looked at her teammates. "I can't sense him in there."

"Well that's because you're looking in the wrong place, silly Haruno."

In unison, their eyes all darted to a direction completely behind them, where two lone figures stood; one snake sannin, and an orange masked man, sitting casually against a tree. The figures of Team Sakura tensed into fighting stances almost immediately, their eyes landing on the two Akatsuki members. Almost as quickly, they all instinctively grouped together, a way of covering up any openings in their defense, Kakashi's eyes darting to their sides to see if there were perhaps more enemies.

_'Crap... how did none of us sense them?' _Sakura looked around in panic, but couldn't help but notice that they weren't surrounded in the least with Zetsu clones; in fact, it seemed to be just the two of them. But they had appeared before them, and it was clear to Sakura that they had perhaps known all alone that they were here -whether they had simply sensed them touching ground here, or if they had been witty enough to foreshadow some sort of elite group trying to sneak around, she didn't know, but it didn't matter all too much now.

"It's been a while, Itachi. Kisame." Madara spoke -although his tone seemed ambient and casual, they knew better. "I have yet to thank you for the mess you made of my base." None spoke, not knowing what to say, and whether this was simply a distraction from something else. "Although, I am curious to know what you expected by coming here. Did you perhaps want to destroy another headquarter of mine?" His head tilted in confusion, although this time he allowed himself to free-fall off the tree he currently sat on; Orochimaru did the same just seconds afterward.

"We came here to put an end to your plan." Sakura spoke with anger, her fists tightening dangerously.

"Oh my, that's quite brazen for a kunoichi who couldn't even hold her own against a sannin." Madara mocked, clearly amused.

"Well, she's not alone." Kisame spoke suddenly, his sword shifting into place, its bindings already coming undone. This became enough of a threat to the Akatsuki members who allowed themselves to size up their opponents: two Uchiha, three Haruno, and a Hatake and Hoshigaki to not be taken lightly.

"This hardly seems like even playing fields." Orochimaru seemed to tsk, but as he said this, four Zetsu clones seemed to emerge from the ground -and although the group was not at all frightful of the clones, it became worrisome when Orochimaru began to do the seals for the Impure World Resurrection technique.

Although it was an unsightly, gruesome technique, Sakura took much comfort in the fact that these were clones, and not real people, even as they were taken over painfully and instead replaced with faces, all familiar to her -one a particular red-haired Suna-nin which she had defeated and killed just months prior.

"It looks like we're just missing three former members, nee?" Orochimaru's tongue flickered out of his mouth momentarily to examine his handiwork. Despite Kabuto's detrimental loss, he had made enough progress on the Impure World technique before his untimely murder at the Haruno's hand. And despite the loss, it would not matter much, as he was now standing before them, his features cracked like a porcelain doll, his sclera completely black as he looked over his surroundings until his eyes finally landed on Orochimaru's.

He seemed to nod his head towards his former master, recognition flashing through his orbs. "I am glad to see you are doing well, Orochimaru-sama." he then turned to examine the other three former Akatsuki members that had been summoned, Kakuzu, Sasori, and Hidan, and from there onward gazed at his opponents. Eight of them in total, against six of them, assuming that Orochimaru and Tobi, A.K.A. Madara, would join the fight too.

Suddenly the tables had turned and Sakura allowed a reluctant glance to be shared with both Kakashi and Itachi. _What would they do now?_

Well, clearly they had no choice, in between being cornered and realizing that Madara and Orochimaru had not come simply to say hello -they had come for a fight, and a fight they would have to give.

* * *

Tsunade's eyes roamed through the valley before her, seemingly covered in snow, although this was simply what she knew to be the Zetsu army before her. They had been alerted of Gaara's initial attack being successful, and now it was their turn. Although the army in Onoki's front was yet to be defeated, they simply could not wait any longer, for it would put them at risk of allowing the army to spread out of the peninsula, of which they simply could not have.

But their battle had started nearly an hour ago, and it seemed that their numbers hadn't even decreased, not to mention that among these Zetsu clones seemed to be an endless pool of shinobi, some she recognized, others she knew of just by word of mouth. And she knew that she her army was not the only one dealing with their reincarnated shinobi, although it frightened her to think exactly which shinobi Madara had managed to get his hands on.

She had yet to see her grandfather, or any other shinobi more exceptional than the average Jounin, although she didn't know it this calmed her nerves or set her even more on edge.

But she supposed she had to worry on that which was before her.

Her shinobi had been allowed a small break after two hours of relentless fighting, the second wave of Zetsu clones still far off in the distance making their way there, but she could tell this small break would not suffice. Eventually they would tire, and as such she had set up a rotational system with her shinobi, with much hope that by doing this, they would be able to get through this war with little casualties (she was praying, anyhow). But her thoughts had been abruptly interrupted by noises behind her, noises from her shinobi (Marika, Shizune, Naruto, Shikamaru and Daichi were the ones particularly close to her).

"Naruto, pipe down, will you?" she frowned, irritated.

Naruto frowned. "This is boring, what are we waiting for? Why don't we just bring the fight to them?" he groaned out childishly.

"Because not everyone has limitless amounts of stamina and chakra, Naruto." she snapped back. "Come here." she beckoned for him to start at the edge of the mountain alongside her; he did so with a small sigh, looking over the valley. "Someday you're going to have to lead an entire nation, Naruto. You need to start thinking for your people."

Her statement made Naruto's eyes soften. "I am thinking of my people, Tsunade-baachan. The quicker we finish here, the quicker we can help Sakura, Dattebayo."

Tsunade's eyes softened at the statement, but no sooner was there an intrusion, a small wale of her name coming from behind her.

She turned her back to the valley to look at Shizune, who was hurrying past shinobi anxiously with a frantic looking Katsuyu (of course, a smaller version of her) clinging onto Shizune's shoulder. "Tsunade-sama...!" Shizune spoke urgently. She didn't know what had happened, and not to mention at which location of the battlefield, seeing as there were at least four other fronts, but something had spooked Katsuyu enough for her to demand to see Tsunade at this very instance.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed, and waited patiently until Shizune approached her and Katsuyu began to speak.

"Tsunade-sama, Sakura-sama's team has been compromised-"

And at this very moment all the hope she had been keeping had literally shattered and her heart plummeted to her stomach.

_Compromised?_

_Compromised how?_

She didn't even have to ask this question though, seeing as Katsuyu was already explaining herself. "Madara and Orochimaru were waiting for them there with reincarnated Akatsuki members."

A bead of sweat trickled down her brow. They were supposed to have the element of surprise, but clearly this had been thrown out the window. And with an army of Zetsu clones at their disposal, which they could use to literally reincarnate anybody they so chose to, Tsunade finally understood why she had yet to see any fallen Kages in the battlefield yet.

_Because they were saving them for Sakura and her team._

From his position behind her, Naruto could not help being able to hear the slug, and his eyes widened in alarm -his blood pulsing harder than ever, even as Tsunade stood in tense silence. In fact, the fact that she hadn't already acted, already began running towards Sakura's direction, made him that much angrier. "What are you waiting for?" he glared.

Tsunade glared and turned to stare at him. "Naruto, pipe down." she reiterated her previous comment.

"They need our help." Naruto proclaimed with anger.

"I have a duty to my entire village, Naruto. If this front falls we will lose this war."

"If they fall we will lose this war, Tsunade." The endearment had been thrown out the window, and it made Tsunade's eyes widen in shock, hearing his words spoken so very maturely.

"Our village is more than capable at handling their own -with or without you. We're not as incompetent as you think." It had suddenly been Shikamaru who spoke, who had heard everything due to his close proximity to Tsunade, if only because he had come to give her an update report on the situation.

Tsunade turned to look at Shikamaru, clearly siding with Naruto's opinion.

_Her shinobi were in danger._

And with a mental image of Sakura, Tsunade knew she had to do something. As such, she turned to Shizune. "Tell Jiraiya I need him here. Now." Shizune nodded stiffly and left, leaving Tsunade alone with Shikamaru and Naruto. She gave one last look to the shinobi at rest below her, before she turned hard eyes on Naruto. "Naruto, get ready to move out."

Pleased with this decision, Naruto nodded and took off to grab his belongings, namely weapons.

This left Tsunade and Shikamaru alone, and she turned to him with a nod. "I'm putting my faith in you, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru scratched the back of his head lazily. "War is too troublesome, honestly." And even though he tried to act nonchalant about it, his heart was pounding at the thought that he might have sentenced some of his friends to death with his strategic plan. "I'll go alert Daichi and Marika of the change in leadership."

The minutes passed in silence, until Jiraiya showed up with Shizune alongside him. He seemed confused to have been called for, but upon seeing Tsunade's grave expression realized that this was perhaps not the time to act like a perverted geezer. "Tsunade." he greeted cautiously. What was making her look so serious?

"Sakura's team is in trouble. I'm leaving with Naruto." Although Jiraiya would have been a suitable replacement to go with Naruto, she had a feeling that what they would need more than anything would be a healer. There was no way that Sakura and Sayuri's (very minimal) medical ninjutsu would suffice. "You are to fill the Hokage role in my stead."

Jiraiya stood in silence for a long time, before finally sighing. "Well, I'm sure there's nothing I could do to talk either of you against this." And as he spoke, Naruto finally returned with a small pack on his back, ready to begin his journey.

Tsunade smile and approached Jiraiya, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You take care of my village, you hear?"

Jiraiya scoffed. "I have the choice on the matter if I want to live past tomorrow. You'd have my head otherwise."

Tsunade smiled, releasing his shoulder and looking towards Naruto. "Let's go kid." She began to walk away, but Jiraiya was not quite ready to say goodbye just yet.

"You come back safe, okay, Lady Tsunade?" It was a nickname he hadn't used in years, but an affectionate one that made the moment perhaps a little more bittersweet than Tsunade would have wanted it to be.

Tsunade smiled slightly. "You worry about yourself, you old oaf. And don't make any trouble for Shizune."

Despite how much Shizune had insisted it, Tsunade had refused to say goodbye, if only because it made it seem like this would be the last time she would see any of them. "I am confident that everything will be exactly as I had left it when I come back, so don't you go spouting those tears, Shizune." Tsunade refused indignantly.

"M-Matte, Tsunade-sama-" But Shizune had not had time to say anything else, for Naruto had simply flashed her a grin.

"Don't worry about her, she means well. I'll bring her back to you in one piece, whether she wants me to or not, I promise." The only words that had been exchanged had been that of Marika, who had Daichi standing alongside her. Although she wanted to desperately accompany Naruto and Tsunade, she knew she had responsibilities here -and if she could go, Tsunade would have already told her to.

"Naruto, you make sure Sakura's alright, you hear me? You make sure everyone comes back in one piece." she refused to show her tears, although Naruto could hear the unabashed emotion in her tone.

Had had simply nodded, and after that, he and Tsunade had taken off with a quick leap, Katsuyu on Tsunade's shoulder to lead the way to Sakura's location.

There had been silence between the five shinobi left in the clearing for several minutes, until Jiraiya finally turned to look at Shikamaru. "Alright, let's start with an update report on Onoki's push, then we'll work our way to Mei and Gaara's forces."

Shikamaru nodded, already holding the reports in his hand. "Onoki's push has been successful thus far. So Shino has reported, they will soon begin to merge with Mei's army, who will soon become overwhelmed with the downpour of Zetsu clones. Currently, Mei and Gaara's armies seem to not have gotten much action; but clearly this will be a different story in an hours time."

Jiraiya nodded. "And of A and Killer Bee?"

"Ino has reported that everything has been calm for now, and Utakata's vitals are stabilized. Hinata and Neji have yet to spot any intruders or signs of a disturbance in the area surrounding them." Shikamaru explained.

"Very well. Let's begin getting our troops ready for another push, then."

"Hai."

* * *

**End of Chapter**

**So, at the beginning, I kind of wanted to incorporate some Saki and Itachi moments, just to kind of establish the sibling bond that they never had the chance to fully develop. Also, I know I'm leaving you all at a cliffie -and I apologize if any of you hate me right now, but I promise everything will work out at the end.**

**Most of the next chapter is finished now, except for a few minor tweaks and alterations, so if you guys want the next chapter up quickly, I implore you all to review extensively and share with me your excitement c: I might give you guys a little surprise and update extremely quickly ^_^**

**Important A/N: So I've been getting a little mixed up with everyone's age, so more so for me than any of you, I'm going to list it here. I was under the impression that in the manga Itachi is 7 years older than Sasuke/Sakura, but its actually anywhere between 5-6. Accordingly, the ages will be fixed, but I'll post information on everyone's age here in case anyone is wondering.**

**Daichi &amp; Sayuri: Age 17**

**Rookie 9 + Himawari: Age 18**

**Team Gai: Age 19**

**Utakata: Age 22**

**Itachi &amp; Marika: Age 23**

**Hiroto &amp; Shisui: Age 26**

**Kakashi: Age 32**

**Konan &amp; Nagato: Age 34**

**On another note, Sakura's New Past has been edited up until Ch. 14 now (And I highly recommend reading 13 + 14, as it is all new content). As I've stated before, just make a quick stop to my profile page and scroll down past the Updates section to see a general list of all the things I've been changing to the earlier chapters. I say this because some I recommend going back to read for I changed them drastically. In addition, I've combined a lot of chapters so for the sake of trying to lengthen the story to how long it was before (Approx. 34 Chapters) I will be adding new chapters with whole new content (which I'm very excited for) to kind of further character development in a way that I feel the earlier chapters failed to do, specifically to kind of showing how Sakura and Itachi became actual friends and further progressed to having feelings. Reading the first chapters made me realize I skipped a lot of that and now that I'm more experienced at writing I'd like to fix that ^_^**

**That is all! See you all next chapter!**

**-MarzSpy**


	21. War Pt 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters in any way, shape, or form.**

**Chapter 21: War Pt. 2**

* * *

_The sound of water began to slowly wake her._

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

_It was dark, pitch black in all actuality, although she had expected it, and the kunoichi's eyes opened slowly to look at her surroundings. She was laying in a pool of water -shallow enough so that she could simply lay upon it and still have her head above it._

_How long had she been out? She couldn't pinpoint the time even if she wanted to. However long it had been, it was rather irrelevant. Her awakening was not her doing, she knew, and for it to have been now meant that she would be needed soon._

_She stood, paying no heed to the fact that she was stark naked. She instead found her hands more interesting, memories of her last time on earth, so to speak, racing through her mind._

_The pain of being burned alive had been unmistakably the worst thing she could have ever felt -at one point it had had the opposite effect and had made it feel like her blood was liquid ice. Although her brain had shut down halfway through it, she could still feel the lingering effects, despite her smooth, porcelain skin now, unmarred and untelling of the Amaterasu she had taken full on. Irregardless, it had been her bellflower to take her place, but the pain was still so very real._

_Her hands tightened into tight fists quickly, swallowing the memories down._

_"Kikyou..."_

_Another drip of water indicated her arrival, and the pink-haired kunoichi turned to look at the only source of light within the personal dimension of Sakura's head, a woman with blue hair and icy blue eyes before her. "Matsuro-sama." she greeted her Mother Kami courteously, bowing in her direction as Matsuro approached her. "I take it that it's time, then." she frowned slightly. The next twenty four hours would be crucial, and they would determine whether they had succeeded in their forty year mission or not._

_Matsuro smiled slightly. "It will be soon." As she said this, she waved her hand, some of the water on the floor lifting to form a circular reflection in front of Kikyou, and shortly afterwards images began to form within it; images of Sakura and her comrades fighting. "You know your queue to act." Matsuro merely stated._

_Kikyou's expression turned more serious -perhaps even a little remorseful. "Hai, I know."_

_Matsuro nodded and began to slowly fade. "Fear not, my child. Everything will work out."_

_Kikyou did not respond -she surely hoped so, for Sakura's sake._

* * *

Even with the promise of reinforcements, a promise given to them by Katsuyu who already guaranteed to them that Tsunade and Naruto were making their way there speedily, their future seemed relatively bleak right now.

They had split up to handle their opponents, and even if Orochimaru joined the fray, Madara had remained atop the tree, watching on in what could be seen as a bored manner, although his focus seemed to be elsewhere -she was sure he was somehow keeping tabs on how the battles elsewhere were fairing.

But her opponent had been chosen for her, one Suna, red-headed boy-ish like puppet before her, although this time she would have the pleasure of having Himawari's help in defeating him a third time.

Kakashi and Itachi had split from the group to handle Kakuzu, a man not at all too difficult to defeat (given the fact that Kakashi had done it once before), but he was simply a hassle to defeat. Sasuke and Hiroto had thusly been required to fight the silver-haired nin by himself, which had left Kisame and Sayuri to handle Orochimaru, and, although strange in nature, Kabuto had been called for by Orochimaru, although none could decipher what it was that they spoke about. He had nodded and disappeared, and although they knew it was not a good idea to let him leave, they had no choice but to, given the enemies before them.

Despite not having the element of surprise against Sasori this time around, he lacked the deadly puppets that made him such a fearsome opponent, seeing as she had destroyed them all, and as such Sakura felt confident that this battle would not differ from their previous interactions by much. And although the nin was inclined to agree that he perhaps could not beat her this time around either, he had not specifically chosen to fight her with this thought in mind. "I've had a lot of time to think about your words, kunoichi." he had began, at first contemplative. "Perhaps in another life I'll truly understand the value of your faith in friendship."

Sakura pitied the man; had his upbringing not been so hard, perhaps there would have been a second chance for him, perhaps as a comrade from Suna.

But it mattered not, in the grand scheme of things, she supposed.

* * *

Shisui stared blankly at the male before him, accompanied by his female counterpart and six other figures, apparently under the control of the scrawny red head currently in a wheelchair and several pairs of metal rods seemingly inserted inside of him..

"Konan?" his eyes fell on the blue haired female, and he could instantly see the resemblance she held to that of Marika, although he knew them to simply be cousins.

Konan had not sensed the shinobi until he had spoken, and although casual, she turned carefully to examine the nin. He bore no hitai-ate, his clothing all black. "You must be Shisui." Konan nodded at him. She examined his physique, noticing that despite his several years of living in hiding, she could still feel the raw power pulsing within him. "Itachi's cousin." she added as an elaboration. Sakura had explained to her briefly that he would be helping with the war effort, and for now he would accompany her in relocating Nagato, and afterwards he would follow her into the war.

Shisui nodded, his eyes falling on the nin with his Rinnegan eyes; dangerous eyes by all definitions of the word. "I won't pretend to know where we're going." Shisui spoke honestly, approaching her.

Nagato's sensor abilities are exceptional. He we'll lead us to a safe location where he could impact the war." Konan responded.

"And what of being sensed?" Shisui asked. "Surely Madara must expect you to be coming."

"I can negate sensor ninjas from locating me as well." he finally spoke. "The only way for him to do so would be to come searching for me personally."

Shisui nodded, and although he did not know Madara well enough, he had a feeling he would do just that, and anything else he had to, in order to get those eyes. "And the chances of him doing just that?" he asked seriously.

The red-head stared at Shisui grimly. "I'll destroy these eyes before he even gets the chance to." He spoke seriously. Despite the value of them, he would destroy them in a heartbeat if it meant making sure Madara would not have them. But as it stood now, since there was no imminent danger, the eyes in his sockets were better left to combat the aforementioned Uchiha.

Shisui nodded in acceptance. Nagato was playing with fire for simply being here –as such, he had to know exactly what he was getting himself into.

* * *

Obito was disinterested with the fighting -fighting he knew the reincarnated shinobi would eventually lose, but it had been necessary in order to tire them, even if just slightly. Plus, unbeknownst to them, he was stalling; stalling until his clones could locate the remaining Jinchuuriki, and locate the Rinnegan that Madara so desperately desired and needed to see his plans to completion. And not to mention the Impure World Reincarnation Technique was incomplete: and without Kabuto, then they would not be able to resurrect whom he wanted to without any problems. As such, they had instead tasked him with making last minute alterations, especially upon Kabuto's statement that he knew exactly what was wrong with it.

A pleasing development, one which he had to thank Orochimaru for.

But, with great disappointment, he realized that the likes of Hidan, Sasori, and Kakuzu would soon fall -they had never been the strongest in the organization, unfortunately, and without aid they would not be able to stall for Kabuto long enough.

His eyes narrowed in irritation, his eyes falling first on one Uchiha Itachi, the reason for Kisame's betrayal, and then the Haruno heiress that had been the root of all of this mess.

He wouldn't mind personally killing her, he decided swiftly.

Plus, it didn't help that Madara had tasked him with eliminating every Haruno over a decade ago.

_'Pesky Harunos' just don't want to die.'_

* * *

Whether coincidence or not, Sakura and Himawari had defeated Sasori at the same time that Kakashi and Itachi had defeated Kakuzu; and even though they were getting ready to collapse on Hidan (the immortal bastard was just beside himself with joy at the prospect of killing once more) and Orochimaru respectively, suddenly they sensed movement, movement from the one shinobi who had not taken a step from the tree he had first appeared in.

But he had not simply stepped down -no, he had moved with purpose and with perfect killing intent directed at one Haruno Sakura. Had it not been for Sakura's sheer speed, and not to mention her cherry blossom tree, she would have been completely caught out by the enormous shuriken that seemed to emerge from his eye. Luckily for her, the killing intent behind her had been enough, and while she took the time to push Himawari away, her contract had attempted to stop its path. Although it had failed, it had slowed it down just enough to barely miss both Himawari and Sakura by mere inches, and with narrowed eyes Sakura looked onward toward Madara.

_'So he's finally making a move.' _Her blood pulsed a little faster.

Although displeased, Obito knew that there was no way this attack would have defeated the kunoichi that easily; if he wanted to kill her, then he would have to try a little harder, and with that thought in mind he used his Kamui to access one of his many stored weapons. "Just like rats you guys refuse to die." as he said this, a sword began to protrude from his eyes, and he grabbed it slowly. "But you won't be so lucky this time around, Haruno Sakura."

The malicious killing intent could have left Sakura frozen on the spot if she didn't feel the same hatred towards the nin. But she ignored him and quickly stood, alongside Himawari who would have been dead by now had Sakura not sensed the nuke-nin attacking. Just by that one attack, Himawari began to really understand why Sakura did not want them here; by Kami, this man was so far out of their league that, even if Sakura could stand to look at him, there she was, trembling with fear she didn't know she could feel.

Her blood had frozen over, and the crushing, evil chakra of the man before them, finally let loose, seemed to nearly suffocate her.

Had it not been for Kakashi who thusly came to her side to yank her up by the arm and pick her up, she might have remained in that state of shock for who knows how long. Truth be told, even she had struggled against Sasori, and could not help but notice how Sakura had handled him with a certain finesse that she lacked -whether she could contribute her success to having already fought him before or her raw strength, she didn't know.

But now their difference in strength -not just between herself and Madara, but rather, between her and Sakura was so glaringly obvious and it intimidated her.

Truly, she, Hiroto, and Sayuri perhaps had no right to have signed up for this battle, a belief perhaps shared by the other nin here.

Himawari had been brought to the sidelines to stand next to Katsuyu, the small slug almost instantly latching onto her and focusing some healing chakra into whatever wounds she had acquired throughout her fight with Sasori. "You should sit this one out, my dear." Katsuyu warned, looking onward towards Kakashi, Itachi, and Sakura, now standing before Madara, with Kisame and Hiroto just a way's away fighting Orochimaru, and Sayuri and Sasuke fighting Hidan elsewhere. Truth be told, she could even see Hiroto struggling, although Sayuri was keeping up well enough, although perhaps this was simply because Orochimaru was clearly the deadlier opponent between the two.

"How long until Tsunade and Naruto arrive?" Himawari frowned, looking down at the small slug.

Katsuyu hesitated. "They're at least an hour away." she admitted reluctantly. It truly was a shame that they had been so far away, especially now that the situation called for it, but what could they do now but stall? Himawari frowned, but said no more, staring onward towards the battle ready stances of Sakura, Kakashi, and Itachi.

* * *

"You okay Sakura?" Kakashi looked over his student with a clinical eye.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Needless to say, she had hardly racked up any injuries with her fight against Sasori, and thanks to her cherry blossom summon she had regained all of the chakra she had used up during their fight. Needless to say, she still had a ways to go before tiring.

Even as she spoke, her eyes did not waver from that of the enemy Uchiha, whose exterior seemed bored and uncaring, his katana in his hand twirling casually. "I must thank you for making my job easier. I won't have to go through the trouble of tracking any of you down, although it seems to me we're missing a few of your kinsmen. Are they dead already, perhaps?"

Sakura knew he was merely trying to rile her up, so she ignored him, lest she give him the pleasure of reacting negatively. She would not be affected by him, no matter how much he tried.

"And you." he directed this statement to Itachi. "I'm surprised Konoha even let you step foot in the village. Although this perhaps has more to do with your little time travelling girlfriend here, doesn't it? How many strings did she have to pull to get you guys in?" Similarly to Sakura, Itachi seemed cold and unfazed by his words, his figure tense and his Mangekyou Sharingan eyes swirling deceptively, looking for any sign that Obito (as he knew him to be) would strike at any given moment. "I guess it matters not. I'll kill you guys and take the Jinchuuriki."

Sakura snorted. "You don't even know what will happen if you do." She glared. "But I don't suppose Uchihas' ever listen anyway."

Despite being curious of her words, _'What is Madara ultimately planning?' _he didn't let the kunoichi's words affect him. Madara had told him he would create a new world –why was the kunoichi under the impression that something totally catastrophic would happen otherwise?

Deciding he no longer cared to continue talking to them (surely Kabuto would be done any minute now, right?) his body finally tensed into that of a fighting stance, his cold, trained eye closely watching their movements.

He knew his former teammate and his student perhaps had superb teamwork, and the same could probably be said about Itachi and her too. And although he adamantly wanted to kill each of them, the kunoichi was first on his list, but he knew that both her counterparts would do anything and everything to save the kunoichi.

He would either have to split them up, or defeat them individually first.

And with a sudden dark, malevolent thought, he decided he wouldn't mind making the kunoichi suffer before disposing of her permanently.

* * *

Sweat trickled down Kisame's brow, taking a momentary pause from his battle to look towards Sakura's direction, where she, Itachi, and Kakashi had just engaged in battle with Madara –or Obito, as Itachi had clued him in on.

His heart thudded strongly against his chest, although this didn't have much to do with his own battle as it did Obito, as he had learned the nin to be after a little bit of inquiring on his behalf.

_If I fail to defeat him, you surely will._

Itachi's words echoed in his mind hauntingly.

"Kukuku, you should pay attention to your own battle, Kisame. Your teammate won't be able to hold me off for long." His eyes had widened, his attention returning to his battle with a second to spare, immediately bringing his Samehada to block Orochimaru's own Kusanagi. He glanced towards Hiroto's direction, and true to his word, he was beginning to tire, and the injuries he had sustained were beginning to catch up to him.

-Perhaps things only became a little more difficult once Kabuto had once more re-emerged in the clearing. And with a nod towards Obito and a lift of his glasses, he spoke. "The technique is ready for use, whenever you desire it."

Madara grinned in satisfaction, even though none could see it. "Then I guess it's time to get rid of them. How about we start with the Second Tsuchikage?" And almost as if he had commanded it so, a Zetsu clone began to emerge from the ground.

Sakura's eyes widened alarmingly, but from her position trying to avoid an onslaught of Madara's attacks, she could not even approach Kabuto. If he began to summon shinobi with the now perfected technique (as he had said), then these shinobi would prove overwhelmingly harder to kill. After all, they had had the advantage of having weakened resurrected shinobi to fight against with Sasori, Kakuzu, and Hidan.

Sayuri had seen what was going on and had left her battle (near its end) with Sasuke and Hidan, to try and prevent Kabuto from beginning the seals.

But almost as if moving in perfect and complete synchronization, both Orochimaru, Hidan, and Madara retreated from their battles to form a perfect barrier to protect Kabuto and simultaneously push Sayuri back, although this had given Team Sakura a perfect time to regroup.

_What would they do now?_

* * *

Upon Mu's resurrection, Hidan had been cast away, although this only slightly left them more at ease because Mu was perhaps infinitely more capable than Hidan (just perhaps not as deadly, because a drop of blood did not mean certain death).

And despite how capable Sakura thought that they were going into the fight, she began to realize that their previous battles (and not to mention their travels here) had clearly worn some of them down.

Sasuke had handled Mu, while Sayuri and Himawari dealt with Kabuto, which had left Kisame to return to his fight with Orochimaru. Hiroto had been left to sit out momentarily to heal his injuries, which had left Sakura, Kakashi, and Itachi to once more deal with Madara –and Sakura had had no choice on the matter either. Even if she had wanted it otherwise, Madara was clearly dead set on toying with her and only her for the time being (or up until her death, whichever really), which hardly even seemed like an advantage over him because he was able to handle all three of them at once superbly, in between his clones and his raw power. In fact, she had a feeling that, if he really wanted to, he could probably take them all on at the same time and still fare much better than any of them were.

But her Haruno Clan members were failing, and with much trepidation she realized it wouldn't be long until Sayuri and Himawari were either defeated or slain.

"Tell me kunoichi, did you really think that coming for me was wise?" Sakura's thoughts were brought back to reality upon hearing Madara speak once more –a lot closer to her than she would have liked him to be, and her golden eyes turned to watch the Uchiha charging at her.

It had been out of her control, truth be told, but she didn't care to converse with him any longer. "Bite me." She instead settled for, her eyes glowing brightly for a second before her cherry blossom tree emerged from the ground beside her.

Obito grinned, though none could see it.

* * *

"Tell me Itachi, are you starting to second guess your decision of double-crossing me?"

Although Madara had first been intent on doing away with the Haruno first, after their small regrouping Itachi had forced Madara's attention on him –he knew it was to hopefully keep the kunoichi safe, but even a mere clone would not stop her impending death.

But now here he was, both of them fighting and clearly deserving more room, because once their Susanoo's respectively had been summoned, the sheer force of their attacks had uprooted the trees before them and made the ground tremble for kilometers on end.

"You're pulling out the stops so early on. That's not like you, Itachi." His eyes narrowed. Regardless, Itachi was not an opponent to take lightly –and doing so would only guarantee his victory over the elder Uchiha.

By far, Itachi was the greatest asset he had cut loose, and he was starting to realize it now. If he was not careful, his sword of Totsuka would be the end of him. And not to mention that, when partnered with the Yata Mirror, nearly all attacks were near useless. But finally he spoke, from his location in his Susanoo's ribcage. "I don't plan on losing anyone else to you, Obito."

Said Uchiha tensed, but clearly none could see the frown on his face. Although displeased, he was not at all surprised that Itachi had found out his true identity –he was too smart for his own good anyhow. Yet, despite him knowing of his true identity, it seemed like not everybody around them was, which he could still probably take advantage of. "Don't be foolish, Itachi. We both know you won't have the stamina to keep this up for long." He taunted Itachi. "I'm assuming you're trying to tire me right? To distract me so I can't dispose of your kunoichi." As he said this, his hands lifted towards his mask, and tentatively he pulled it off. His eyes looked at the battlefield around them. Despite how tauntingly he spoke, he knew he could not touch Itachi in this state. Furthermore, because he lacked both eyes, his Susanoo was far inferior to Itachi's own, and he knew this, and clearly he was exploiting the fact.

But as strong as he was, he would not be able to keep it up for much longer. He had been holding back until now, but Itachi was definitely trying to focus his attention on just him.

An act he would have to exploit if he wanted to get anywhere.

* * *

The battle of the titans, as Sakura would like to call it due to their enormous size, had leveled most of the ground around them and had made it difficult to fight, although she had had no choice on the matter.

And even though she was trying her best to defeat what she knew to be a clone, the aforementioned clone seemed to hardly be trying –an infuriating thought, although she tried to not let it get to her. "Alright, I've tired of playing with you, Haruno-chan." Madara mocked. Almost as if taking these words extremely seriously, the languid posture he had taken turned deadly. "It's time to say goodbye."

Sakura's eyes widened, but she had had no time to react as he appeared before her with a well-placed kick to her chest. The blow had completely knocked the wind out of her, but she had successfully landed on her feet nonetheless, her eyes darting around frantically to try and watching the Madara clone, with speeds so great that not even her Hanabira-me had been able to help her.

She had finally found him behind her, barely missing a punch aimed for her face by ducking, and as she attempted to go for a counter kick, her cherry blossom contract also went on the attack. But the clone sensed this and jumped a few feet back, making some hand signs that Sakura hadn't quite ever seen before. "I won't pretend to be so useless anymore, kunoichi." He finally spoke before doing the last seal. "Wood Release: Smothering Binding Technique!" Sakura's eyes widened in confusion, but in an instant the branches that had been darting towards Obito turned instead.

_'Mistress I can't control myself…!' _she could hear her contract speak to her, and Sakura could discern her voice to be struggling, but part of her was still in awe at the fact that somebody was using Wood Release. It took her a second to recover, but she instantly took a step back, and by pumping chakra into her hands, used chakra scalpels to cut down the tree's several dozen branches.

Her eyes were still wide in alarm after the fact, tensing at the fact that Madara could use her own lineage against her. And even though she could not see his face, she could tell that he was very smug from that very same fact. But he did not even spend the time to gloat. "Let's see you get out of this one, kunoichi." He seemed to chuckle, but moments later the clone vanished, and it made Sakura turn with much confusion to look at the real Madara (Kakashi's own Madara clone had disappeared too, it seemed), his Susanoo still activated. "Wood Release: Great Spear Tree!"

Sakura tensed –in fact, everyone around her tensed, as they began to feel the ground around them shake. Her eyes looked down and she could feel the raw pressure –and not to mention chakra, that was slowly building up, and without a moments notice roots began to break through the dirt, enormous in size, which made everybody have to jump to evade their onslaught. But they kept growing and growing, and Sakura realized with trepidation that these roots were not meant to bind; they were meant to crush. She turned to look at Sayuri and Sasuke, both using their respective tantos to cut the roots as they came (Sasuke enlisting the aid of his lighting affinity and Sayuri her lilies), and Himawari jumping alongside Hiroto and using her Sun Flowers to create a massive barrier between her and the roots, their razor sharp petals cutting the roots as they approached and tried to subsequently smother the barrier flat. Kisame himself had effortlessly morphed himself into his sword (a sword which simple roots would not break), and Itachi seemed untouched from his location in his Susanoo. Orochimaru, Mu, and Kabuto had rightfully so retreated to stand within the safe confines of Obito's Susanoo, not at all affected by the magnitude of Obito's attack.

But Sakura was not as lucky, and upon realizing that she could not use her cherry blossom tree, she had to simply duck and weave and evade the roots as best she could, running up their length until Kakashi suddenly appeared before her, pulled her in with his arms, and in an instance they were gone, teleported away with the safety that his Kamui promised.

Although Sakura felt the wind knocked out of her, they once more emerged within the safe confines of Itachi's Susanoo, who was doing away with the roots as they came. He inclined his head towards them for a few seconds, his eyes roaming their bodies for any indications of injuries; finding none, he turned back around and focused back on the real Obito.

"Kakashi, once he drops his Susanoo, he will return back to his previous fighting style. Once it happens, you must use your Kamui to transport yourself into the other dimension." He informed.

"And from there?" Kakashi spoke seriously.

"From there you must defeat him." He spoke seriously, his eyes turning to stare at Kakashi. "They are twin eyes."

"What-" But suddenly it all made sense to him, why he had asked about the inner workings of his Kamui while trying to save Utakata, and why, above all else, this supposed Madara had not taken off his mask to use the gift of both eyes –_he only had one._

And Sakura understood this too, and with an exasperated sigh, she spoke. "This isn't Madara, is it?"

"No, but he has every intention of bringing him back, and we can't let him get to that point." Itachi ascertained. "This is your teammate, Kakashi." He finally revealed, although Kakashi already knew this, and was simply staring in hurt confusion at his former teammate –another Uchiha that had fallen so far from their former selves.

Kakashi nodded wordlessly, his cold eyes staring at the man attempting –and oh so very willing to, kill them all off. A man he had cherished and thought of as a best friend. It had taken nearly five whole minutes, but eventually the roots began to recede and withdrew back into the ground. And although Sasuke and Sayuri were exhausted, they stood still and looked on to make sure that all of their teammates had made it out safe.

Slowly but surely, all of Himawari's sunflowers began to slowly peel away, and although she was barely standing, the force of the roots having been too much to hold on her own, she and Hiroto were unscathed.

Similarly, although not at all strained, Kisame finally emerged from his sword, looking around to make sure everyone had survived the deadly attack –the likes of which none had ever seen nor expected to ever witness.

And despite the tension, Itachi wasted no time to attack, knowing that after a jutsu of that scale, his Susanoo could not hold off for much longer. He had pooled chakra into his stomach and released it around him, and as if this was enough, his Susanoo lifted his hand to its mouth and from there emerged Fire Dragons, terrifying in size. But Obito seemed not affected, as Kabuto and Orochimaru stepped up to erect a tall Water Barrier, Mu simultaneously concentrating chakra into his hands into what they knew would be his Dust-Release techniques. Although the Fire Dragons were successful in breaking the Water Barrier, his Susanoo was able to withstand the blow –but just barely, which gave them great hope.

But then to top it all off, Obito began his own set of hand signs, and just from the initial seals they all knew it would be another Wood-Style technique.

Would it be just as deadly?

"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!"

They didn't know what to expect of the technique, but to see dozens upon dozens of trees suddenly spawn around them was of no surprise, given the extensive size of the previous jutsu. But suddenly pollen began to spew forth from the flowers that blossomed.

Sakura's eyes narrowed –it was a toxin, but what were its effects? They tensed, watching as the roots tried to capture those it could. Sayuri and Sasuke dodged them efficiently, but it wasn't until the pollen spread to the Susanoo that they became terribly alarmed.

Although they had thought the Susanoo a perfect counter, clearly that was not the case, and almost immediately Itachi broke off his Susanoo, forcing them to jump back, because the pollen had gone completely through it and with just one whiff of it they realized this was meant to knock them unconscious. Just one simple waft had caused debilitating numbness and it had forced all three shinobi to hold their breaths and try to run away from the pollen –but it was gaining on them, and fast. And with this realization, they turned back to Sasuke and Sayuri who had now learned the same thing they had –but they had no way out of this, and Sakura turned warily towards Kakashi. Himawari and Hiroto had also identified this, but in between Hiroto's injured state and Himawari's chakra-exhausted one, all they could do was weakly jump away, and Sakura identified with dull fear that if Kakashi could not get to them, then they would succumb to the pollen.

"Get them out of there." She spoke, although still not breathing, and Kakashi nodded wordlessly and disappeared within the confines of his eye.

Sakura jumped alongside Itachi and held him close, and within an instance a cherry blossom tree emerged, _'Please don't use this one against me.' _she prayed silently. It's hollow trunk opened up to reveal a small enclosing, and she and Itachi quickly made their way into it. It immediately shut closed, and Sakura and Itachi took a tentative breath –upon realizing that there was no pollen, Sakura breathed a heavy sigh of relief, never mind the fact that this tree was meant for one –as such, she was tightly pressed against Itachi in what could almost be seen as an intimate way were they not in the midst of war.

"Mu's Dust-Release will be done any minute now." Sakura stressed. "Once it is, we won't be safe here."

Itachi knew this of course, and he was already trying to think of a way out of this. "The only way to stop the pollen will be to destroy the flowers."

"Well that's going to be a lot harder to do if we can't breathe." Sakura frowned. The only one probably capable of doing it would be Kakashi with his Kamui, who would be able to pop in and out of the battlefield, but she knew his eyes had their limit and he must be nearing it soon, what with him not only saving Sakura, but now Sayuri and Sasuke, and Himawari and Hiroto if he was able to reach them on time.

-Unless she could do it from here, which would not typically be too hard. "I can try it, but Obito can take control of my trees. Even now we're not safe."

"We'll have to try something." Itachi stated seriously. He would be able to handle Mu, but they had to get rid of the pollen first.

Sakura nodded and closed her eyes, putting her hand on the base of her tree and concentrating chakra into it. _'Tree-san, is there any way we can take this out?' _sweat beat down her brow, concentrating her chakra to form a clear image of the battlefield in her head. There were two dozen pollen flowers scattered everywhere –and of course it was no coincidence that there was absolutely no pollen where Obito and his shinobi stood, for he was sure that he could control where they went. But with much forewarning she noted that Kakashi had been unsuccessful in reaching Himawari and Hiroto, as they know lay unconscious in the corner of the clearing. But Kakashi, Sayuri, and Sasuke were gone, and it seemed to her that Kisame had buried himself deep underground.

_'I can try.'_ Her contact stated in agreement. _'It is that man I'm worried about.'_ And Sakura knew this posed as a threat, and with Himawari unconscious, this left it as Sayuri's responsibility. Obito might be able to control her tree, but the same would not hold for flowers, after all.

"Obito will know something is up the moment I do something. Once he realizes, we won't be safe here." She commented seriously.

"Our best bet is to destroy them at once." Itachi agreed. "But to do that we'll need Kakashi." And of course, Kakashi was a brilliant man in his own respects –he would eventually realize what had to be done, and acting together gave them a much higher chance of success than going in one by one.

Sakura nodded, understanding that they would have to simply wait. And so they sat there was the minutes ticked by, until she could finally feel a pulse of chakra, an indication that not just Kakashi, but Sayuri and Sasuke had also emerged from the alternate dimension.

In an instance, Sakura began acting. "Get ready." They would have mere seconds to leave the tree once she began her attack.

Itachi didn't need to be told, and as he began to feel the tremors around them, this one Sakura's doing, his eyes once more developed into the Mangekyou, no matter how much it strained his eyes.

_'You need to leave now Mistress.'_ Sakura contract forced them out, and with one last inhale of air, they jumped out. Sakura herself had already destroyed four, and Kakashi and Sasuke were running around with their tantos slicing what they could, and sensing the sudden movement Kisame appeared and began to take a similar action as his teammates.

But Sayuri and all of her lilies perhaps did the most, her plants beginning like little seeds and entangling themselves around the flowers. Simultaneously, they latched onto the flowers with a vice grip and completely sliced them. And although Obito tried to stall them with his roots, clearly neither him nor his shinobi could risk stepping into the battlefield.

Itachi, having already foreseen this, had gone to the edge of the clearing with a Body Flicker technique, and using one of the strongest Wind techniques in his arsenal, attempted to blow the pollen up and away from the battlefield.

It had been damn near a minute before any of them could have a breath of fresh air, but once they did their lungs burned and yearned for that sweet oxygen.

Obito seemed displeased, but at least two Harunos' were now successfully down for the count.

But Obito was growing weary of the fighting, and Madara would be displeased if he took much longer to progress his plans. As such, he had to hurry up and kill them and capture the Tailed Beasts. He turned to see Mu's technique nearly at its peak, and with a grin he realized he would end this now.

The five remaining shinobi regrouped, exhaustion beginning to show for the Mangekyou users, but seeing the size of Mu's technique wasn't the slightest bit calming.

"Sayuri, I want you to go and get Himawari and Hiroto out of here."

Sayuri scowled, clearly displeased with the order, but upon seeing Sakura's face expression, knew this was not something to argue against. With a nod, she withdrew from the group and went to carry her cousins to safety, of course not before making sure that they were only unconscious.

"I don't mean to alarm anyone but we have to deal with Mu." Kisame stated, his eyes narrowed.

"I have an idea," Kakashi stated with a nod, "although I will require a strong genjutsu." He looked at Itachi for help.

Understanding what he meant, he gave a small nod. "We'll have to work quickly, lest Obito catches on."

They had had mere seconds before the technique was shot. Kakashi had disappeared, and the remaining shinobi dispersed to avoid the cubic Dust-Release attack. Once captured within it, it would be near impossible to get out on time, especially not in the proportion that Mu had concentrated it.

But Itachi had no intentions of actually running away from it, and despite feigning to have eventually been caught, his Mangekyou eyes spun wildly in his direction.

But just a second's glance was all Mu needed before he was swept away in the genjutsu, and that gave Kakashi enough time to appear behind him, a dangerous act given his close proximity to Obito.

But he had noticed this, and with alarmed, wide eyes he instinctively jumped away, nary missing the Dust-Release jutsu that previously been around Itachi and had now promptly enclosed around Mu. Any millisecond longer and it would have gotten all of them too, and with the remaining time Kabuto had left, he made Mu split into two, one emerging out of the jutsu before it went up in a puff of smoke.

Before any of them could consider engaging on Kakashi, he was already gone, quick as lightning, and with irritation Obito realized he should have perhaps gotten his eye back from his former teammate before he had become such a hassle.

Nevertheless, it was too late for that now, although he was pleased to find that Kakashi had absolutely overused his Kamui for the time being.

He, along with the two other Harunos', and the third that had gone to take them to safety, were down for the count. "Let's finish this."

And as he spoke this he finally charged.

* * *

Even if he had been surprised and nearly decimated by Kakashi's Kamui and Itach's genjutsu, Obito had seemed unperturbed and if anything slightly fueled to fight more.

Sakura could tell, with growing uneasiness, that their fighting would be done soon, and she had not a clue what that meant for her or her teammates.

Kakashi, despite being weakened, refused to stop fighting, even as Kabuto came at him with the intent to kill.

Kisame had taken over fighting Orochimaru, while Sasuke finished off Mu, half his strength gone (and as such a much easier target), which had left Sakura and Itachi to handle Obito.

Sayuri had returned to battle after five minutes and had planted a lily upon Kakashi, which, although slow in its efforts, would heal Kakashi and help smooth over the exhaustion he was feeling from the use of his Mangekyou. But he had not lasted long, and as such she had forced him to retreat for now. Her lily would help him with the effects of the Mangekyou, and until he felt himself good enough to fight, he should remain in the sidelines.

But even though Mu was at half his strength, Kabuto had barely fought, and was as such able to easily repel Sayuri. Even Sasuke was struggling against the Iwa-nin, and although Kisame was holding his own fairly well, things only got increasingly harder once Obito created more clones to aid in their battle.

_'Kami help us.' _He thought, looking at the battlefield. This would not last long.

* * *

"Your teammates are failing, kunoichi. What will you do now?" And despite how much she wished his words to not be true, she couldn't help but look around. Itachi was across the other end of the clearing, drawing away the real Obito's attention from her, and Kisame was slowly being pushed back by the joint efforts of the Obito clone and Orochimaru. And despite how capable Sasuke was, he was perhaps nowhere near as strong as he had been in her original timeline due to Orochimaru's guidance.

"How about you surrender and let me kill you now, and I'll make sure they have a painless death?"

Sakura could have snorted, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of getting a reaction out of her. "So long as I can stand I will not let you hurt my friends."

But Obito merely laughed. "You think you have a say in this?"

* * *

"I must commend your commitment to try and keep her safe, Itachi. A long time ago I may have been just like you –foolishly and unconditionally in love. A mere slave to the woman who captured my heart." Itachi would not pretend to know Obito's past, but the way he spoke made him realize that the elder Uchiha was definitely not born evil. "But love only gets you killed in the long run. I'm doing you a favor, really."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "You will not lay a finger on her."

But Madara simply laughed, his cold eyes staring straight into Itachi's. "But it's already too late."

* * *

There was an explosion at the other end of the clearing, one strong enough to make her turn away from her battle to see what had happened –clearly it had been the joint attacks of Itachi and Obito, but for some reason Itachi was not at all focused on his battle. In fact, his eyes were dead set on her.

_'What the-' _but she had no time to ponder it. The Obito clone (what had been the clone anyhow, for now he was the real thing) appeared right in front of her, and even though she prepared to counter, he went right through her, although the shackled chains (which had not been there before, so why were they now?) to his wrists persisted in their physical state. He seemed once more tangible once he had passed all the way through her, just as she felt the tight chains press against her throat, the force on her larynx near crushing as he wrapped their long length around her neck several times.

"Say goodbye, kunoichi." he knelt down, if only for his un-masked mouth to be pressed up against her ear, speaking malevolently. Her eyes widened in panic as he held her up, and she could see it, clear as day (it seems he wanted her to witness her own death), the Obito clone which had swapped places with him making hand signs to a jutsu she knew would kill her. It had seemed to her at first to be a piercing arrow of light slowly forming in the palm of his hands. Upon further analysis, she realized it was a tightly condensed spear-like lighting technique, one she had never seen before, not that it mattered anyhow. Her eyes would not save her here.

Sakura turned frantically to her left, seeing her sensei badly beaten and on his knees, panting heavily with blood slowly sliding down from his lone Sharingan eye. Even Sayuri, who had refused to sit in the sidelines, was now alongside Kakashi, trying desperately to prevent Kabuto from getting any closer to them, although Sakura could only be thankful at this rate that Obito had not done away with them yet.

And across from Itachi, currently trying to regain his senses from the strong attack, she could see Kisame caged dangerously by a water prison technique, slowly drowning him.

_There was no one to save her now._

_She had to free herself_

And even though she said this and she fought against the restraints at her neck, the more she resisted the tighter they got, to the point where her vision blurred simply from the lack of oxygen.

Her cherry blossom tree was rendered useless, if only because of Obito's own overwhelming Wood-Style technique which had literally turned her own contract against her. She tried her best to claw at the chains, to try and break them, but apparently Obito had thought ahead, fortifying the bonds with his own chakra. And even though she tried to kick him from his position behind her, she could hardly reach him, especially not after the dirt she stood on morphed into wood bindings that kept her in place. "Wood Release: Tree Bind Flourishing Burial" Obito grinned in sadistic glee.

She heard the technique -through her hazy eyes, could see it coming her way, and for a second the gravity of the situation was gone and outwardly she couldn't help but wonder if this was what the prophecy had foretold. For her to be choked to death and subsequently shot with lightning.

It happened faster than she could register as a figure dashed in front of her, simultaneously grabbing onto her figure and stabbing Obito with a kunai, although he didn't seem the least bit threatened by this as he Body Flickered away, to stand alongside his clone, the chains at Sakura's throat gone with him. Sakura looked up at her savior, her lungs filling with oxygen once more, although her eyes were filled to the brim with tears after having gone so long without air, and not to mention the painful pressure at her throat.

He tried to push her away, to pull her from the impending attack, but the roots had already enveloped her, nearly entirely up to her waist. He noticed this with trepidation and his eyes looked up at her.

She had understood, even as she could see the imminent attack. "Itachi, move." she commanded breathlessly, trying to regain her voice, but he made not a sound or slight action. Instead, his arms wrapped more securely around her, and by the mere action her eyes widened alarmingly. "No! St-!" But it was too late. She heard the sound of ripping flesh, felt the wind knocked out of her by the sheer force of the attack as Itachi's full weight was suddenly upon her. In fact, she also felt a burning at her side -not nearly as painful as it should have been had she hit the jutsu full on.

* * *

Kisame, nearing his last seconds of consciousness, watched on with confusion at the sight before him. His oxygen-lacking brain could not register completely the sight before him, the sight of the Lighting technique piercing through his teammate, but within the next second he felt the water prison go down -aid from Sasuke, he could recognize, and with a deep inhale of air he forced himself up. With a Body Flicker to Obito and a swift swipe from his Samehada, he was able to momentarily distract the Uchiha from continuing his attack. His shoulder had been shredded severely from his sword, although he seemed not the least bit concerned. Despite this, it had been enough to cause the Wood Bindings around Sakura to recede into the ground, but even so he did not look away from his attack, which had forced Kisame to due the same, mostly out of morbid curiosity.

Because he had been too late, Sasuke had saved him too late, and the damage had clearly already been done.

* * *

Even if Sakura was released from the wood bindings at her waist, she dare not move, her eyes wide and confused.

Time seemed to slow down, almost to an excruciating stop. _'No...' _Her eyes were wide, all fighting and sound but a buzz in her ear as she saw _his_ figure fall limp before her, and she could do nothing but try and cling on to him as they both fell to their knees, Itachi's weight fully on her, blood pooling around them. But this was not her blood, and she knew it just by seeing the look in his eyes, his normally deep onyx pools suddenly being drained, turning grey and lifeless at an alarmingly fast rate, in a manner she knew could only mean one thing. His eyes hung low and his head rested upon her shoulder, as if the weight of the world was willing it down. "I-Itachi...?" she was almost hesitant to call out his name, in fear he wouldn't respond –_couldn't_ respond.

But her voice had seemingly shocked him back into attention, and even though it had taken him nearly all his strength, he lifted his head to look up at her. "Sa-" but if he was attempting to say her name, he never got to as blood splattered from his mouth and onto her chest, although all Sakura could stare at was his eyes, his usual beautiful deep eyes neither as beautiful nor as deep.

_'No... NO...' _Tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks, mixing with the blood on her face. "Itachi... Itachi say something... You'll be fine, okay? Bear with me..." But the more she spoke the more she could tell Itachi couldn't quite understand her, and it made her heart drop to her stomach. "Itachi... please..." It was a feeble, desperate attempt to see some fleeting sign of life within him, to capture his attention, as her hands immediately darted to try and heal his injuries, but frankly, there was nothing to heal -a clear hole in his midsection, an indication that she could not help him no matter how desperately she wanted to. The jutsu which Obito had used had gone directly through him, and had even injured her, but not to a severe extent (then again, she couldn't even feel the pain right now, too distracted by the sight before her). But even though her brain knew this her heart did not make the same concession, her hands turning green to try and heal the damage. "Onegai... Itachi... Itachi you promised..." she pleaded once more, her heart breaking at the mention of their oath, even as she saw him lift his hand slowly, its quivering movement slowly making its way to her forehead until it placed but two fingers upon said facial feature.

"I'm sorry, Sakura..." There seemed to be a ghost of a smile on his face, as if he were at peace with what had just happened, and within the next second his hand fell limply to his lap, and suddenly it was all gone, every ounce of life she had ever seen in this man, any sort of emotion, whether good or bad, any sort of strength left in the man lying before her.

And so she sat there, lost and with no meaning, almost as if the realization could not sink in, as if she would not allow herself to acknowledge the sight before her. _'Itachi... Itachi is... he is...' _The thought made instant tears stream down her face as she got the urge to shake him, to wake him from his slumber because Kami, this could not be it. This could not be the last time she would see him, especially not after everything that they had gone through. "Itachi... wake up, onegai..." her voice cracked, and it was the last desperate attempt she could muster, her hand cupping his cheek as she stared into his eyes.

_Cold. Hard._

_ Dead._

She could hear Sasuke in the background, and could distinctly see him finally stand from his position alongside Kisame, clutching on to his wounded arm. But the sight of Itachi on the floor with blood pooling around him had been enough to stir within him more energy, even as Kisame tried to hold him back with a tired but firm hand on his shoulder. Sasuke looked down at the nuke-nin in question, _Why won't you let me save my nii-san? _But he would not let himself be emotionally attached to the situation, _hell, he knew it was coming_, and as such he was not at all idealistic of Itachi's true status. If Sasuke approached the man, it would only make it harder for them to retreat, Kisame knew, and now more than ever they needed to regather their strength, especially now that he could distinctly feel Tsunade and Naruto's strong chakra signatures approaching their location.

And there Sakura sat, seeing all of this in slow motion, but unable to move even a fraction of an inch as she held onto Itachi's body -_utterly lifeless_.

"_NO! ITACHI. YOU CAN'T DIE. GET UP. ITACHI! ITACHI-NII!" _It was a desperate attempt on Sasuke's behalf to try and stir some sort of response from the elder Uchiha, but his begging fell on deaf ears as tears streamed down his face, his blazing Sharingan suddenly manifesting into something entirely different than its original form. "_LET GO OF ME. I'LL KILL HIM. I'LL FUCKING KILL HIM!" _he shouted in anger, his eyes suddenly shifting to his target, Obito standing several meters away in near boredom. It had not been his intended target, but it had been someone equally as deserving to die for causing this whole conflict anyway, he supposed. He always knew Itachi was a wildcard.

_'Itachi...' _Sakura turned away from her temporary distraction of Sasuke, her eyes once more falling on the figure of the Uchiha she cared for so deeply. She was hopeless and lost and utterly unbelieving of the sight before her, her hand slowly lifting off of his face and onto her lap.

_It wasn't supposed to end like this._

It was all she could think, the only sentence repeating over and over in her mind.

_They were supposed to defeat Obito and Madara and he lifted of his charges for the slaughter of his kinsmen, and welcomed to Konoha. He was supposed to be carrying Saki on his shoulders one sunny day and march his way to the Ichiraku's ramen stand where Team 7 was waiting for them._

_But this..._

She could physically feel her heart and mind tear at the sight as it dawned on her.

_None of that would happen now._

And with that realization suddenly a throbbing pain erupted in her body, rippling through her and coursing through her veins like a toxic poison, her hanabira-me spinning wildly out of control as its petals changed into a design all their own, unique from anything any of her Haruno Clan members had ever seen, until she suddenly fell limp alongside Itachi, her tears falling to the dirt beneath her and mixing with the pool of blood now surrounding the two of them.

_'Itachi...'_

* * *

Tsunade didn't know what to expect when walking into the clearing –or more like crater that her shinobi had formed during battle.

But certainly the destruction before her was not it.

Nearly all of her shinobi, save for Sayuri and Kisame were either on their knees, defeated, or already unconscious on the floor. But that had not been what had caught her attention. It had come to her in the form of Sasuke's screams as soon as she and Naruto had entered the clearing, but she didn't understand it until she finally saw Itachi's fallen body on the floor, and Sakura's own falling shortly afterwards.

She and Naruto tensed almost immediately, although it seemed to her that Naruto took the scene before him much harder than she did. '_But of course… this is his first real interaction with the bloody truth of war.' _Her apathetic inner thought, although she had no real time to mourn Naruto's innocence.

It was all beside the point, as things stood now. She and Naruto were the only ones capable of fighting right now. And given the fact that only Orochimaru, Kabuto, Madara and a deceased Mu stood in the clearing, she knew they would need a hell of a lot more than just them to hold their own.

"Naruto, I know this isn't what you want to hear right now, but we need to retreat, before Madara gets to his senses." Because from where he stood, he was currently clutching onto his shoulder, seemingly severed although he did not bleed, oddly enough.

Naruto had snapped back a lot quicker than she had expected him to, and with a nod, he made the appropriate handsigns and made multiple shadow clones. "I'll grab Sasuke, Himawari, and Hiroto." He spoke solemnly.

Tsunade nodded and looked wordlessly to Kisame all the way across the clearing, who seemed to understand what they were going to do. Consequently, he looked at Sayuri gravely "Go get Kakashi kid." She nodded anxiously and retreated to pick up the silver haired nin. Kisame turned and jumped towards Sakura's location, just as Tsunade had arrived alongside him and began to examine the pink haired kunoichi.

Tsunade could feel her pulse, knew she was alive and stable, but what had prompted her fainting spell? Although upsetting to note, her medic mind could identify with the fact that this was entirely too much blood, but none much of it was Sakura's, despite the nasty burn at her side. Nevertheless, this was a question to be answered when they were not in imminent danger. As such, she picked up her student, grimacing at the blood coating the girl, but ignoring it. Similar to her own train of thought, the Kiri-nin began picking up Itachi's lifeless body and retreating with her, as Himawari, Sasuke and Hiroto were being carried off by the Naruto clones, and Sayuri was helping Kakashi limp away from the scene.

The three remaining shinobi did not move from their location, Obito examining his wound and watching it with mild irritation, and Orochimaru and Kabuto standing alongside him, a few meters back.

"Are you okay with letting them go?" It had been Kabuto to ask his question after watching them disappear within the forested expanse, taking this time to lift his round glasses from the bridge of his nose, Orochimaru approaching Madara as he did so, not a care in the world that Mu lay defeated on the floor (he was already dead anyway).

Obito frowned slightly, but did not seem overall affected. "It's not like they're going anywhere where we can't follow." He stated decidedly. His senjutsu would track them whenever they went, if he wanted to follow them. "Besides, we should take this time to prepare the jutsu." He spoke seriously. His clones had yet to find the Rinnegan, and without it he could not revive Madara, save with the Impure World technique. Madara would be displeased, but it would have to do if he could not locate the damned Rinnegan wielder soon. "Mu will make a good conduit; I'm waiting for more Zetsu clones as it stands."

"Very well then."

**End of Chapter**

**I know in the Naruto-verse, you technically need both Mangekyou Sharingan eyes to be able to use Susanoo, but for the sake of my plot all you need is one, although it will be greatly weakened from its original version :)**

**But other than that, the chapter is out! It's a little shorter than usual but I kind of wanted to end on the cliffie of Itachi's death.**

**Please don't kill me :). If you want to find out what happens next, drop a review, and the more I get the faster I'll update**

**And again, my fight scenes have never been the best so any pointers will be graciously taken**

**-MarzSpy**


	22. The Rise of the Haruno

**Here with the next chapter, updated extra early for all you lovely reviewers who took the time to share your frustrations with me x) Thank you for not killing me, and I promise you won't regret it! :P. The truth of the Haruno Clan's origins and true powers will finally be revealed here, and after the chapter I'll post a long A/N to fully describe the Hanabira-me and analyze its workings fully.**

**Until then, enjoy, and try not to kill me for how the story is developing thus far c:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters in any way, shape, or form**

**Chapter 22: The Rise of the Haruno**

* * *

None within the group of shinobi had said a word since they had abandoned their battle, and had silently trudged on -Kakashi, Hiroto and Himawari still being carried by the Naruto clones, but Sasuke now sullenly running, his eyes stained red and his fists as pale as a ghosts. They had perhaps ran for ten straight minutes -far enough for them to know they would have some time in case Obito and Orochimaru had decided to chase them.

The first to break the silence had been Tsunade, who had finally assessed Sakura's state and concluded that she had had nothing but a fainting spell: no life threatening injury, no genjutsu, no sudden comma. The burn at her side was nasty and a little deep, but it was not something ten minutes of healing chakra from Tsunade couldn't fix.

But that did little to relieve the group, seeing as two other Harunos' lay unconscious, Kakashi was going through severe chakra depletion and Sharingan over-exertion, and one Uchiha lay dead alongside them. Tsunade and Naruto could only look on with devastated eyes at the crest-fallen expressions on their comrades' faces, badly beaten and bruised, save for the Kiri-nin who had faired well enough in his own battles, it seemed.

But all of this put aside, on a general scale, they had failed in battle, terribly so, and had hardly made a dent to any of the enemy shinobi they faced.

"Katsuyu and I will heal you guys, and then we'll see what we can do from here." Tsunade stated hesitantly, noticing that none of her shinobi seemed inclined to speak right now.

"What can we do?" Sayuri's hoarse voice had finally broken through the silence, her devastated eyes falling onto Sakura's limp figure. "Our best chance at defeating Madara has just been slain; Sakura will be out for who knows how long. We don't have anyone else coming to save us." And she didn't even need to mention that Madara would be after them soon; frankly, they all knew this already.

"That's not Madara." Kakashi finally spoke, his comment sullen and indifferent. "Not that it matters much; if we give him enough time, Madara will be our next opponent." Although taken aback and perplexed by this news, there was other things they had to focus on first.

"Are we going to ignore the fact that half of our squad is incapacitated?" Sayuri frowned. "We can't touch them. Not as we stand, not even with the added help of Tsunade and Naruto. Why does it matter who he is? He can just keep reincarnating shinobi."

"But Shisui and Konan-" Kisame interjected with hope. "Perhaps once they come, and once Sakura awakens-"

"If and when she will." Tsunade frowned, turning once more to look at her student. "Frankly, without understanding the cause, I can't even determine when she'll come back to us." and as she said this she finally turned away from Sakura once more to face the other shinobi.

"...Are we just going to ignore the fact that my nii-san was murdered in cold blood?" Sasuke finally spoke, his tenor dark, his thoughts brooding over the blood spilled. Tsunade, Naruto, and Kisame stirred with unrest at the mention of their fallen comrade. "Are we just going to continue talking about a battle strategy as if we didn't just lose someone?" finally his tone broke and his anger became more apparent, his eyes flashing dangerously with the Mangekyou eyes that he had yet to deactivate since their emergence, tears sliding down his features.

"He stood in front of Sakura out of his own accord, Sasuke." Kisame spoke seriously, his brain whirling with different thoughts about the elder Uchiha. "He chose this; don't resent his actions. What we need to do is focus on defeating Obito, the man disguising himself as Madara. We can't let his sacrifice go to waste." But even if he said this, he knew he was speaking from his brain and not his heart, the logical side of him that knew Itachi was doomed from the very beginning anyhow. Perhaps it made it easier seeing the lone figure on the ground.

Naruto wished he could say something to comfort his teammate, but truth be told, this death hit him closer to home than he would have liked it to. He had yet to witness a death from anyone close to him, and this was Sasuke's own brother that had sacrificed himself for Sakura. Considering Sasuke was as much his family as any real blood relation could be, this was a personal loss to Naruto too, whether anyone understood it or not. It was his duty to protect everyone -and he had arrived too late for not just Itachi, but for Sakura and Sasuke too, because only Kami knew how they were really feeling. He had attempted to remain oblivious to it, but the Sakura that he had grown up with was entirely different than the Sakura that had come back from the timeline. She had been naive and lively and so innocent from the devastations of the world. This was not to mean that Sakura wasn't her usual lively self, but a more mature, serious Sakura had come alive within the past few months since her "arrival" in this timeline. Whatever had happened in that timeline, it had changed Sakura completely -and he knew it to be entirely because of the elder Uchiha.

She loved him, a thought that made him slightly jealous and resentful, but in seeing that he loved her back, he could only feel happy for her. Sakura had never been meant for him, although he had desperately desired it, but he was beginning to come to terms with it. But seeing her like this? Over the death of Itachi? It made his blood boil, because no one should ever be able to harm his family so long as he still breathed.

But despite all of these thoughts, all of these emotions, he knew not what to say for Sasuke, his fists tightened at the sight of his broken brother, and all he could do was approach the nin and put a heavy arm around his shoulder. Despite not usually liking the affection, Sasuke did not push Naruto away -a sign that Sasuke was oh-so very vulnerable right now, even if he only portrayed it as anger.

The silence once more lay thick in the clearing, Tsunade slowly healing everyone, but nobody else knowing what to add to what Kisame had said. There were truth to his words, sure, but it probably didn't do much to relieve Sasuke's own pain.

But even he didn't know what to feel. If he had not lost Itachi, he would have lost Sakura -a fact he knew to be inherently true. So could he be resentful? Knowing that resenting his action would in turn mean he had wished Sakura dead instead of his nii-san? The very same Sakura that had been like a sister to him, who had saved his Okaa-san and Saki, and had saved Itachi from his own darkness, and had helped shape Sasuke into the man he was today?

But despite all of these thoughts, the only thing that seemed to stand out was the pain in his hollow heart and the overwhelming need to spill the blood of he who had taken the life of the brother he had just gotten back.

"Do not succumb to this hatred, Sasuke. Sakura has done everything she can to prevent it." A voice spoke knowingly (as if she could read his thoughts), one which they had not expected, nor had they sensed her move, but it had caused everyone within their small circle to turn around and stare at the figure of Sakura who was finally standing, as if nothing had just happened -as if Itachi had not just been slain, and her teammates injured. And why had she referred to herself in third person?

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto was at once over-whelmed with relief at seeing his teammate once again awake, but upon taking a close look at her, he noticed something was... _off... _In fact, her scent was a little different, not that he could pin-point how.

_"_Not quite." she responded, but decided not to elaborate immediately. "Senju Tsunade." the way she spoke was formal and so unlike Sakura, that it had Tsunade pause. "Our time is limited." She moved as if there was nothing wrong with her, as if she hadn't just witnessed the death of Itachi, and Tsunade was able to see it then, Sakura's hair had grown distinctly longer and a few shades lighter, a paler version of her own hair, and her normally vibrant jade green eyes darker in color.

"Who are you?" This was not the Sakura that Tsunade knew and loved, and as such Tsunade wasn't the least bit ashamed when she defensively stood in front of her shinobi in a protective manner.

But Sakura did not seem to waver at all, her expression filled with some sort of amusement as she halted her movements momentarily. "You know who I am."

It was Sayuri who spoke after a few seconds of silence, her gaze meeting directly with that of Sakura's and understanding exactly what had occurred. "Kikyou-sama." she declared boldly, as she immediately fell to her knees in a respectful bow. There was no mistaking it, especially not with the way that her blood and chakra were reacting so strongly to the figure of Sakura before her.

Tsunade didn't understand, but Kikyou had simply smiled at her kinsmen. "I am glad to see you are doing well, Sayuri-chan. You've grown into quite a kunoichi over these past few years." Despite the smile adorning her features, she did not let herself linger on this thought. "Save your chakra, Tsunade. We will need you to do something else; I will handle healing our comrades." As she spoke, her previously jaded orbs had turned golden, and with a small glow, bellflowers began to emerge around the wounded. "Hiroto and Himawari will be fine once the toxin leaves their body, but without Marika here to quicken the progress, I am afraid they will be out of commission for the rest of the battle to come."

"And what is it that I should do instead?" Tsunade wasn't entirely certain why Kikyou was barking out orders, but this did not stop her from wondering what it was that she supposed Tsunade should be doing instead. And why did she know this with much certainty, above all else?

It finally seemed that this question she would answer though, and so she turned to face first the fallen figure of Itachi, and then Tsunade herself. "Itachi's eyes. You must transplant them into Sasuke."

Silence settled upon the group for several seconds, but the first person to react was Sasuke, after he let the information sink in.

Her declaration was bold and seemingly uncaring of the repercussions of her snide statement, Sasuke visibly angered by her intolerance of the situation as it finally became apparent what it was she wanted -an Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan at their disposal. "My brother was just killed and you want me to take his eyes?" he glared, his Mangekyou pupils swirling around dangerously at the kunoichi, who, frankly, was lucky that she had taken over Sakura's body. Anyone else and he would have been tempted to try out his new eyes.

"In case you haven't noticed," Kikyou spoke sharply, "there is an Uchiha just kilometers from our location attempting to resurrect Madara. I don't need to tell you what will happen if he does. As he lies now, there is no use for him any longer. Itachi's eyes are better left in your hands."

"Don't you dare speak about him that way." Suddenly Sasuke shot up, his hands darting menacingly to Sakura's throat, although she held her ground unflinchingly, even as his hands made contact with her throat. How could she just say that about his nii-san? Talk about him as if he were now only garbage on the floor? _Dispensable?_ "Who do you think you are-"

"Sasuke back down." Tsunade barked, staring at Sakura level-headedly. "Irregardless of who you are, how do you know that this is what we should do?" Tsunade asked, trying to level the tension that had appeared in the clearing and remain objective. If she truly was who she said she was, then she warranted respect but that did not mean she became the commander in charge.

"I have lied in a dormant state of being for over forty years awaiting this day." Kikyou stated calmly, unperturbed by the hand at her throat. "To finally put an end to Madara's plans. Everything has been pre-planned, carefully timed for this very moment. Sasuke must obtain the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan. This is our only time to do it, and you are the only one who could possibly do it, given your direct heritage to Hashirama Senju and an Uzumaki, Tsunade. Need I remind you all that this is a war? Sacrifices must be made."

Tsunade stared with deep consideration in her orbs. There was no way Kikyou was lying to them, and if she said it had to be done, chances were it did. "Sasuke, maybe we should-"

"No." Sasuke glared. "We are not touching him." he declared boldly, resentment bubbling up in him even as he finally released Kikyou's throat and began turning around. He would have no more of this conversation. How could she ask this of him? To defile his nii-san's body, not even half an hours after his death, and take his eyes? Although he could see the logic behind it, his heart could not take it.

"We need an Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan." Kikyou spoke seriously. "Sasuke, it is the only way to defeat Obito and Madara. There is no other option." and although her tone was frigid and icy, her eyes spoke a different story. "I lost my husband and life to this man. Don't let him take everything away from you too. Trust me, everything will be fine."

"Fine? How could everything be fine?" he seemed more outraged by this comment than any other. "My brother is lying dead before me and you think everything will be fine?!" Kami knew how many shinobi had already died at the battlefield, and how many more were to come. Frankly, nothing was fine, and there was no guarantee that it would be.

"We have not been abandoned by our Kamis, Sasuke. If you have faith, things will work out the way they were intended to." she tried to soothe his worries as best she could, but she had to be honest: even she was uncertain of the future to come. What lay ahead of them would not be easy; perhaps there would be casualties. She was not certain; but one thing she was sure of was that Itachi had been a necessary one. To not just Sasuke, but to Sakura as well, even if she had yet to understand it.

"Sasuke..." It was Naruto's voice suddenly, and Sasuke couldn't help but turn back to look at his best friend, his gaze for once serious and contemplative. "Maybe we should listen to her..." He gave a firm nod, one which told Sasuke that this was the right thing to do, and even though it physically hurt him to think he would be taking his brother's eyes just minutes after his death, he knew they had no choice.

"Tsunade-sama."

In response, she merely nodded. "Lay down right here. I'll get started immediately."

And just as Tsunade was about to begin, suddenly four chakra signatures began pulsating from far away, chakra signatures so powerful and dense that all around them could feel it. "What is that?" Sayuri stated hesitantly.

Kikyou closed her eyes momentarily, her bellflowers summoning a clearer image of the chakra signatures that had just been summoned. They opened once more after a few more seconds, her jade eyes serious. "Orochimaru has just reincarnated our fallen Hokages'."

Tsunade's eyes darkened. "I'll need time to do the transplant." Time they didn't have, if the Hokages' were making their way there as they spoke. "Maybe we should relocate-"

"You need not worry about that. I will go and stall them; you continue on with the transplant. Given the fact that these are Orochimaru's summons, he may stray from Obito's orders and waste his time to try and capture me instead." She would be the perfect bait.

Kisame hesitated. "You can't possibly hold them off by yourself." They hadn't even faced off against any Kages, save for Mu, and they had barely been able to hold their own. And for Kikyou to state that she would do so on her own?

Kikyou smiled. "But I am not alone. Your reinforcements have arrived." Because she could feel it now, clear as day, the chakra signatures of eight people, although only two were actually alive, making their way to the very same location of the reincarnated shinobi. "You should all remain here and rest until my bellflowers have finished healing you. After that you are all more than welcome to join us in battle once more, although someone should stay with Tsunade and Sasuke for protection."

"And what of Sakura-chan?" Naruto frowned, identifying the fact that, despite this being Kikyou, this was most definitely Sakura's body. And if that were the case, if anything happened to it, then it was safe to say that it would mean Sakura would not be coming back to them, and that was a terrifying thought in and of itself.

"Sakura is fine." Kikyou reassured the fox child, a small smile on her features. He was so caring and compassionate, his worry rolling off of him in waves.

"Where is she?" he asked instead.

"Her conscious is elsewhere." Only Sayuri seemed to understand these words, stuck in Matsuro's otherworldly dimension. "She is busy... understanding the true power lying within her lineage. Once she is ready, she will return to you with the key to ending this war. Worry not; everything will work out as planned." It had been the last thing she had spoken, staring at each and every one of them, before she turned and began to walk away.

* * *

_"-kura... Sakura..."_

Sakura couldn't help but groan, a throbbing pain in her head reappearing as she began to gain consciousness. What had happened? What had caused her fainting spell? Almost instantly, as if the thought alone was enough to trigger the answer, the images of Itachi's death flooded through her brain, and she shot up, half expecting herself to still be in the battlefield, the other half praying for it to have all been a dream.

-But it wasn't, and she was a fool to hope this. She was in an all-white setting, a place she knew to be inherently Matsuro's other-worldly dimension, and for a second her anxiety was over-whelmed by the desire to know why she was here. Why now, of all times?

Matsuro was before her then, her blue hair and crystal blue eyes looking over her with concern. "How are you feeling, my child?"

Sakura glared, rage filling her body, rage she knew she shouldn't take out on Matsuro, but frankly, there was no one else to take it out on. "_How do I feel_?" she sneered, angry tears beginning to form at the corner of her eyes. "Itachi di-..." her voice hitched in her throat momentarily, "he died protecting me. How do you think I feel...?" tears streamed down her face as she spoke, her anger slowly turning into despair. _It was all over,_ she couldn't help but think once more, because surely with Itachi's downfall and her own unconscious state, and not to mention Hiroto's and Himawari's as well, they were down to four people who could not possibly withstand their opponents.

"Even as you say all this, there is still a war looming in the background. A war only you can stop, Sakura." Matsuro tried her best to stop Sakura and her derailing, depressing thoughts.

"Then why am I here?" Sakura glared, frustrated and remorseful and angry all at once.

"It's time you learn of the origins of your clan. The rise of the Haruno, so to speak. Only through that will you be able to find the way to stop Madara and win the war."

"I have already been told the tale." Sakura frowned, remembering of the tale that Hiroto had told her many years ago.

"Iee. Not like this you haven't..." Kikyou's voice seemed to echo, Sakura apparently having no say in the matter. And so the scenery around her changed, morphing into a location that looked like Konoha -but newer, strangely. "These are memories... memories of Kikyou... memories of your ancestors." And so Matsuro's voice drifted off into nothing-ness, and Sakura was forced to gaze upon the freshly-branded Konohagakure until it changed altogether into a different scene...

* * *

_Life was tough at the beginning. It was a blood-bath, quite frankly. Fighting every day was a given, despite the never-ending attempts for a cease fire._

_There were three clans in particular that stood out among all others. The warriors; the Uchiha and the Senju, always at each other's throats due to a rivalry as old as time. And then there was the odd-man out, the terrific healers, with tremendous fighting capabilities and twin eyes to the Uchiha, easily up to par with the aforementioned clan and the Senju, but they dared not lay a finger for either side other than to heal the injured. The one no one paid much attention to but was always there, the Haruno Clan. But who would even bother with them, with a woman at the helm of the Clan anyway?_

_During the earlier years of the war our tale begins, on a bright, sunny afternoon by a river. There had been an incident. Three children, two males and a female, her bubble-gum pink hair long and her green eyes brighter and with more depth than the greenest forests. It had been pure coincidence -some would even call it Fate, that they met. Sheer unluckiness that the Uchiha lad had fallen into the river after a small tousle with the Senju. Sheer luck that the Haruno had been there to witness it... Sheer luck she had been there to save him._

_Although neither boy admitted it, they were astonished to see such strength and bravery from someone so young. The girl laughed, her bubble-gum pink hair blowing in the wind. "Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm not equally as strong as you two." She had stuck her tongue out at them as she ran away without so much as another glance their way, picnic basket filled with flowers in her hand, a trail of water following her, a tell-tale sign of her brave act in saving the Uchiha._

_The two boys watched her retreating figure and looked at each other once she was no longer in their line of vision. Who had she been?_

_Eventually, their sheer luck meeting had turned into a common occurrence. The party of two had turned into three in the blink of an eye, and by this very same river they indulged in each other's company, laughing and playing, with the occasional tussle and sparring session in between. And in a few more blinks the years began to pass -the innocence was shed and reality dawned on all of them. The reality of their identity, and the reality of the blood that would lay on their hands. Blood of people, both young and old, that they would have to live with for the rest of their lives -even this burden fell on the Haruno, for she was usually the last to get her hands on these aforementioned men before their untimely passing. If they died it was her fault for not being able to save them, after all._

_"Your clans are both fools." She blinked, almost bored, at the antics of her two friends as they began to argue (yet again, for this seemed to be a common occurrence in recent months, no thanks to the politics that ensued from being main household branch members), she before them sitting on a miscellaneous rock, picking at a flower in a 'He loves me, he loves me not' fashion. Honestly, she had grown tired of their incessant fighting over the months. It had been bearable when they were children and as such were mostly spewing nonsense of who was stronger, but now the playful undertone was gone. Now their banter had turned into something entirely more aggressive and manifesting into that with hateful undertones. Typical -all men became corrupted with age._

_The Uchiha male turned his fiery, angered eyes from the Senju to the Haruno, lashing out at her with anger he knew he should not channel to her of all people, the only female he had ever met who treated him no different for who he was or what he had done. "What would you know? Your clan doesn't fight for a cause. You don't even protect your honor. Your clan is pathetic." The Uchiha boy now turned young man sneered her direction, his red eyes flashing dangerously with anger as he lashed out at his former companion. "The only thing you guys can do is heal people."_

_But she did not back down, staring at him with a level-headed gaze, almost as if offended that her long-term friend would say such a thing. "How dare you flash those eyes at me?" her tone was icy, her eyes immediately turning gold to meet the Uchiha's animosity. "You will turn them off at once." Regardless of her clan's pacifist nature, she was not one to let anyone, Uchiha or Senju be damned, walk all over her -backbone she had to have in order to lead her clan in the future._

_He seemed to regret his actions almost instantly, if him quickly defusing his Sharingan was an indication of anything, his eyes glancing away from the Haruno beauty, but his tone still resentful. "This changes nothing." No matter what the Haruno said or how much he cared for her, his opinions on the matter changed not._

_"Then you explain to me the purpose of this senseless war. What is your cause, Madara?" Her flower had been long-since crumpled in her dainty hand, her eyes staring intently at the Uchiha, completely ignoring the Senju who was trying to break the tension between them. Truth be told, it made him shift uncomfortably to hear her call him by his given name, not "Mada-chan" as was typical to her silly and compassionate nature._

_The Uchiha parted his lips, ready to throw out an explanation, but he had no response to her, even after nearly a minute of standing there, mouth wide but still no words, and so she continued. "There is no honor in senseless fighting. What honor is there even to protect when all you are doing is continuing a never-ending cycle of bloodshed and pain and death? The only honor lies in life. Being alive is something to strive for, not whatever it is that your clans seek." Both the Senju and the Uchiha seemed shocked at her tone -she was never one to openly express such anger towards her two companions (to others, sure, but never to them), after all. Hell, it was usually her diffusing the situation with her smiles and laughs, for that matter. "My clan cares more about our honor than you understand. We will not taint our name with the blood of innocent people over such a stupid cause -or a lack of one thereof."_

_She stormed off then, throwing the very same flower she had been playing with on the floor, the Senju male staring hesitantly between his Uchiha friend and the young Haruno beauty, until he too, turned around, and began chasing after her. After all, what was he to do there? The Uchiha made it clear that he didn't care for keeping their long-term tradition alive. He care not for either himself, or their Haruno companion._

_The Uchiha remained there for a long time, mewling over the passion in the Harunos' eyes and the logic behind her words, and not to mention the pain in his hollow heart._

_Some more years passed after that. The meetings between the three had grown fewer and fewer until eventually they stopped altogether. The tension and resentment had reached such an unbearable level. Eventually, all had grown weary of the fighting, even the Harunos' which dare not lay a finger in the war. A treaty had been discussed on multiple occasions. But only now was it becoming a reality, both sides too worn and tired to continue. It was the Haruno that asked for one more meeting; for old time's sake, if their friendship over the years had meant anything to either boy._

_Reluctantly, both had attended, unknowing that the other party would have been there as well. Although unwilling to speak to each other for fear of treason, they allowed themselves the company of their female counterpart. She had grown lovely -lovelier, truth be told, for she had always shined brighter than the most beautiful spring days, since the last time they had seen her. And even though they refused to acknowledge each other's presence at the beginning of this particular encounter, it became evident that neither side could continue this charade._

_"Please stop. If not for my sake then for the sake of your people. They suffer more than either of you are willing to admit."_

_The Uchiha and the Senju locked eyes at that moment. And although they refused to speak, they knew it would come to a stop, by their hands alone._

_Some time after, war was finally over. Exhaustion and relief had settled over all three counterparts, and as the three heirs now turned heroes looked on towards their newly formed village, they knew it was finally time to pick a leader._

_Surprisingly enough, both Uchiha and Senju believed this to be the role of the Haruno to fill. She had been the reason they stopped, although they would never admit it, and as such, only she was fit to make sure this peace continued._

_But upon hearing this news, she shook her head, a small smile of respect on her face. "I am not fit to be a leader. This is not the role the Haruno Clan must play here."_

_And so this burden fell upon either the Senju and the Uchiha, and upon casting a vote of popularity, it had been decided._

_"To a new age of prosperity." Hashirama Senju, newly elected as the First Hokage, looked at his comrades with a hopeful smile._

_"To a new age." Uchiha Madara and Haruno Kikyou exchanged the same look, one filled with happiness and hope._

_But none could have expected the way things would have developed in the future, either._

_Time seemed to go by slowly from there. A peace like no other had settled on the new village, and as negotiations between Konoha and the other nations presumed, there was finally time for peace and relaxation between the trio. For less work and more pleasure, above all else._

_Their meetings by the river resumed; it had been just like old times. Unknowingly, both had fallen for the Haruno heiress. Her smiles ignited fires in both of their stomachs and they each began craving more of her attention. Not to mention the persistence of clan elders to procure an heir and continue their lineage._

_Madara was the first to make his move. Hashirama was away at a conference; he had called her out under the pretext of creating a surprise for their longtime friend upon his return to the village. But he clearly had other plans, professing his undying love for her and proclaiming his intentions of integrating her into the Uchiha Clan, and asking her if she reciprocated these feelings._

_But she could not say she felt the same. And although he asked her for a reason, asked her if there was someone who had already stolen her heart, she could not offer him any sort of explanation, although her reasons were concrete. She sensed an ultimate evil within Madara, a darkness that would consume his soul and set fire to the deepest wraths inside the man. From this, she had to keep her distance and be wary. Although she cared deeply for the Uchiha and wished the best for him, this was not the man for her._

_Although it hurt, he accepted this begrudgingly and parted ways with Kikyou._

_He tried his best to harbor no resentment towards her -and he was nearly successful too, until he discovered the reason for her rejection; the real object of her affections. And how could he stand it when the person he had considered his best friend stole not just the Hokage-ship from him, but also the love of his life, sneaking around so that nobody knew of their secret love? It was pure luck that he had stumbled upon such a scene, after all._

_Darkness consumed Madara as he grew more and more resentful, with each and every passing day. His attention shifted elsewhere, in particular to the policies that Hashirama was taking up with the foreign nations. It could be that he honestly didn't see eye to eye with them -it could also be that anything that Hashirama did ever since he realized the Senju's love with Kikyou, didn't rub Madara the right way. He was forever biased; even Hashirama showing liking towards a particular food brought on scorn from the Uchiha, although he tried his best to remain objective. Eventually, his disdain was seen by all, and even those from his own clan began siding with the Senju -they abandoned him, their leader, and it drove Madara crazy. First the Hokage-ship, then his love, and now, even his clan, had to be taken by Hashirama. And so he began plotting for his rightful revenge, where he would prove once and for all that he was the better man; that he had deserved to be titled the Hokage and that he had deserved Kikyou's affections._

_But things had not gone as planned here either._

_He had staged a meeting between Kikyou and Hashirama, an easy enough feat with his Sharingan, and as the Senju waited patiently for the lover that would never come, he was ambushed. He was wounded heavily, but before Madara could land the finishing blow, time stopped as Kikyou appeared in the clearing. At least, time seemed to stop, if the lack of movement from either party was an indication of anything._

_But Kikyou moved easily and effortlessly, even as both Senju and Uchiha were frozen in place, and suddenly time seemed to pick back up just as Madara was hurled away, a fiery pain by his side. He didn't know when it had been or even how, but his side was bleeding heavily and as he stared on, he saw Kikyou, her eyes a golden shade and her hands beginning an intricate set of seals._

_"God Style: Rejuvenating Leech"_

_He didn't know what it was that he was seeing, but the next thing he knew Hashirama was no longer bleeding, and Kikyou was down on the floor, breath heavy and eyes exhausted._

_"So this is what the Haruno Clan was hiding all along." Madara sneered. "This wasn't about not tainting your honor, was it, Kikyou?" he glared at the woman lying with her head on Hashirama's lap as he stared in wide-eyed shock. "This was about protecting your kekkei genkai, lest another war pick up due to the unrest that the news would cause. All of Hashirama's peaceful negotiations would have been ruined." And it finally made sense, why they were always in the background, and why she had refused to become the leader to their new, prospering city. Because being in the spotlight only ever led to being investigated, and no doubt their secret would have been discovered eventually._

_Kikyou, too tired to speak, could only watch on with half-lidded eyes, trying desperately to regain her breath so that she could speak and perhaps talk Madara out of his senseless babble, already seeing the gears in his head turning._

_"I'll see to it that this peace you've created crumbles under my hands." And he vanished, one hand clutching his wound, intent on revealing a technique that had never even been heard of before. And just by the name and the severe secrecy behind it, he could tell its strength was on a scale of proportions they had probably never seen before._

_Hashirama looked down at his lover, his hand caressing her face. "I'm fine. Stop him." she closed her eyes momentarily as her golden orbs returned to their normal green._

_Hashirama nodded and left, tailing after the man he had once called a best friend._

_And so a dynamic and fearsome battle between Hashirama and Madara caused a chasm in the land, creating a great division at the Valley of Ends._

_"So long as I am alive, I will not rest until I see everything you love and hold close to you vanish. I will get my revenge on everyone who has wronged me." These had been the last words Hashirama had ever heard from his long-time companion, and with bitterness he acknowledged that they had taken separate paths. How had Madara fallen so far from his former glory?_

* * *

_Kikyou had realized she had been fooled, appearing in the clearing to see her lover's lifeless body on the floor. She knew foul-play was involved, and she had a feeling she knew exactly who it had been too. So she did the only thing she could to save him. She traveled to the past, even if for a few short hours, appearing just in time to prevent a man she had once considered a close friend from taking the life of her lover._

_But Kikyou, as weakened as she was, knew that she could not stop now. She knew that they had not seen the last of Madara, so long as she lived._

_So she did the only thing that would cease Madara's plans for revenge, and so she died, a result of a forbidden jutsu that traded her life for that of Hashirama's -at least, so the story was told._

_In truth, Kikyou fled from Konoha, the Haruno Clan following their leader, under the pretext that they had become disillusioned with Konoha's politics after the death of their beloved leader. A realistic and plausible explanation, so no one seemed to question it when every last Haruno just up right took off for who knows where._

_And so life for the Haruno Clan was established in Kirigakure, where a surprise followed Kikyou, now living a peaceful life hidden within her clan, her name changed and her hair cut and dyed._

_She was pregnant._

_But this child, the child of her lover, Hashirama Senju, she accepted whole-heartedly, even if the father would not be there to witness the birth or growth of their child, or even know about it to begin with for Kikyou was supposedly dead. And so eight months later she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, and noticing how the Bell-flowers were in full bloom just in time for her birth, this child was also named Kikyou._

_But another surprise followed the birth of this child, one which Kikyou would have never expected._

_Because how could she have ever guessed that through the mixing of Hashirama Senju and a Haruno, a kekkei genkai, new in its entirety, would be born? Flower Style. The ability to wield flowers and any form of plant life, the first of its kind and unique in all of its characteristics, mixed with the Harunos' kekkei genkai, the God's Eye, and created something different in complexity. Different from Hashirama's own Wood Release, seeing as no matter how much Kikyou II tried, she could not replicate the abilities that her mother was trying to teach her, but still similar enough to show the heritage unknown to her daughter._

_The years passed from there. It was a given that Kikyou II would grow up a prodigy, slowly, with the help of her mother, discovering the depths of her second kekkei genkai, this one not as much a dojutsu as the God's Eye, but still working magnificently with the likes of it._

_Eventually, Kikyou I grew old and senile, and subsequently, Kikyou II regained her rightful title as leader to the clan once she became of age. Life for Kikyou II was uneventful and prosperous in Kiri, eventually marrying a Kiri-nin, and with such a peaceful life-style, she was given the gift of five children, all with the innate ability of manipulating plant-life just like their mother -and so the Flower Style kekkei genkai prospered and continued to form and expand within the years that followed. With their help, Kikyou II was the first Haruno to discover things about their new-found kekkei genkai, such as the contracts with their specific flower/tree. She, alongside her mother, also set up the naming ritual for all future main household Harunos, and was the one to discover the females unique ability to use the Flower Style and adapt it to their specific plant._

_Some would say she advanced the Haruno Clan greatly, so much so that she is single-handedly appointed the strongest Haruno up to date._

_But Kikyou II, having never heard of her mother's past in Konoha, new nothing of what this prestige could bring to her clan, not that she could have known that Madara Uchiha would still be alive, young, and kickin' it. Curious, for he knew that the Harunos' eyes had never held the power to wield plant-life, he went to investigate, only to come face to face with Kikyou II, the spitting image of Kikyou I and a man he hated, the very same Senju that had taken everything from him._

_Realization dawned on him -Kikyou had never died saving Hashirama, not that he could have known otherwise, having never returned to the place Kikyou had fallen, or the village at all, for that matter. In addition, he knew nothing of God-Style and as such didn't know its complexity and depths, and who ever heard of bringing a person on the verge of death back to health in a split second without having some sort of side-effects anyway? It didn't seem possible, so such an explanation seemed realistic to him._

_Then again, he supposed he had had many surprises in his lifetime due to the Haruno he had loved so much._

_He knew what he was doing would cause an uproar, but he didn't care. After all, he had vowed to destroy the lives of the very same people who had betrayed him and stolen everything from him -their people (hell, his own Uchiha kinsmen too, for having abandoned their leader) were included._

_But instead of taking Kikyou's life, which he desperately wanted to do but seeing her face was like seeing the face of the very same woman he had loved, he chose to instead take the life of the man she loved, leaving Kikyou II with no husband and all of her five children with no father._

_Kikyou II had been the only one to lay witness to the slaughter, not believing her eyes seeing the still-young Madara, and in order to shine some light on the ordeal, sought after the guidance of their god, Matsuro, having fully activated her God's Eye after witnessing and experiencing the loss of her dearly beloved. Not to mention that she was still very skeptical and fearful of Madara's motives for such a seemingly random murder, and needed to know the reason that a ghost of Konoha's past would harm her family (and her specifically)._

_And so Matsuro was once again activated, and through her Kikyou II was finally able to understand the dynamics between her belated-mother and the man that they call Madara. And through accessing glimpses of the future, she was able to realize Madara's plans._

_"You have to stop him. He will mean the end to both our worlds if we don't." Matsuro spoke out, a saddened expression filtering through her eyes._

_"But what am I to do? I have seen the power of this man. I cannot lay a hand on him."_

_"This is not about you defeating this man, Kikyou. This is about what you can do to see to it that his plans fail further down the line. In the future." Kikyou II stared curiously at Matsuro, not understanding what it is that her God was saying. "My child. It is time you learn about your true heritage. About the power that lies within the God's Eye of the heir."_

_And so Kikyou came to unlock her true power, and sacrificed herself in order to be of aid to the true Savior, the one that would finally bring Madara's plans to an end, two generations from her._

_As the days and the weeks and the months passed, Matsuro and Kikyou II began planning. Once it was finally time for her to leave this earth and wait in a slumber up until it was her time to help the chosen one, she spoke to her children, nearly all of them now adults in their own respect. "Let my death fall under suicide," She began, "lest Madara catches on to my plans. I depart this world now, so that I can aid our savior, the true heir of this clan born to once again set the balance of nature and rid the world of darkness."_

_And although her children were saddened to know that they would be losing both parents, they understood this to be necessary._

_Upon her passing, a shrine was built for her, located in the borders of Kiri and Leaf, and alongside her went Matsuro, sealed with a scroll so that she would be used once their savior came of age._

_But unfortunately, Matsuro's slumber did not last for long, being activated by a man who had fallen so far from his former glory just weeks after Kikyou's burial._

_Madara -who Matsuro really knew to be one Uchiha Obito broke in, his sole purpose to obtain Kikyou's God's Eye, the only ones activated to their utmost potential in existence (because who even knew where Madara's "beloved" Kikyou was buried anyway, and he had a feeling that this information had died along with Kikyou II). But he got more than he bargained for upon coming across the scroll with Matsuro, the Haruno Clan's Time and Fate God, in it. And so upon realizing that he now had in his hands the power to see and manipulate the future, he decided to make use of his luck._

_And although Matsuro desperately wished that she could stop him, upon realizing that he had stolen the eyes of her child, she had no choice but to obey._

_Luckily, Obito lacked control over his newly-obtained eyes. Similar to that of a non-Uchiha obtaining and using a Sharingan, it took much more effort and control to wield the God's Eye, especially activating Matsuro's alternate universe. And although it was too taxing on his body for him to physically see the future, he had enough control to task this upon Matsuro._

_"Madara aspires to reach the glory of the God's, and you are willing to follow this man to the ends of the earth because of his promise of a new world." Matsuro looked down at him, her voice icy with apparent distaste. "But you will fail. The Haruno Clan heir will be the cause of your downfall."_

_Obito sneered. "You underestimate me, foolish Kami."_

_No sooner was Matsuro re-sealed within the scroll and tossed aside, Obito walking away with a smirk on his face and his eyes lit a golden hue._

_But the troubles didn't stop there, it seemed._

_Shortly after Kikyou's passing, the clan began feeling pressure from Kirigakure, in particular about joining the war efforts -the Shinobi World War was raging on, after all. Of course, the Haruno Clan had refused to take part, as always, but after Kikyou's passing, a weakness was seen, and the Mizukage tried to take advantage of this._

_But the new Haruno Clan leader, the middle child of the five children, Ayame Haruno, had been newly appointed as heir due to her innate spiritual connection to Matsuro. She learned much from her mother and grandmother, and not to mention much from Matsuro's guidance, and as such knew this to be a mistake._

_So what did she do?_

_Well, she had no choice, really, after tensions escalated, so her and the rest of the clan packed up once more and relocated, this time to a more peaceful and welcoming Konoha, which was more than glad and relieved to have their three great clans reunited under one nation once again. And so life was once again prosperous for the Haruno Clan, the remaining four descendants of Kikyou II becoming part of the newly formed Haruno Clan Elders, where important decisions and plans were made, -among them the plans for the heir, who would be conceived somewhere within the upcoming generation, from one of the five brothers and sisters._

* * *

Obito's orders had been easy enough: summon the Four Hokages and finish off the pests (and capture that Jinchuuriki that had so conveniently delivered himself to their doorstep) as he went in search of the Rinnegan. Perhaps Pein could avoid being sensed from his clones, but he could not from the real thing. Once he returned with the pair of eyes, he would use them to once and for all revive Madara and complete their Eye of the Moon Plan.

But he was beside himself with confusion and interest when, before he could send the shinobi out, one lone kunoichi appeared, the very same one that had been the object of his interests for over a decade now. He had not had the heart to try and go after her with Obito standing there, but perhaps things would change here.

"Kukukuku Sakura-chan. You trying to strike a deal to save your friends?"

"I have no need to strike a deal." She simply responded nonchalantly.

Orochimaru shifted uncertainly as he examined the kunoichi. This was definitely the very same Haruno Sakura that he desired, but she seemed different; not just physically, but mentally as well, she seemed to be a new person entirely. Perhaps the death of the Uchiha had affected her so, and with that thought, he dismissed his curiosity.

"What do you think you can do here alone? Against four Hokages', when you and your team could not even stand against us?" He turned to look at the four coffins, standing vertically with the bodies still inside, not yet willed to act.

"I am not alone." she simply blinked in explanation. "Furthermore, my duty is not to defeat you; rather, to stall."

He understood with apprehensive certainty that Tsunade was probably healing everyone; knowing his teammate, they would be in perfect health the moment they came back. But his Haruno was before her, a temptation he could not withstand, regardless of the fact that suddenly eight shinobi appeared in the clearing; seven of which he recognized as Konan and Pein's Six Paths, but the other was one dark-haired male he had perhaps not expected to ever see alive once again. "Well if it isn't Uchiha Shisui." He was surprised, and acted as such, upon seeing the Uchiha, whose eye, among several others, he had helped to transplant inside of Danzo. "I never thought I'd see you walk this earth again; at least not as a living human being. It's a shame you won't be able to see your cousin once more."

The two currently alive shinobi made their way to stand alongside Sakura, ignoring Orochimaru's exclamation. "Sakura-hime, I'm sorry we couldn't make it any sooner." Konan greeted her, although her eyes had never left the figure of Orochimaru and the dormant corpses beside him.

"You came just when you were needed." Kikyou simply explained, although she couldn't help but notice Shisui's confused and perplexed expression upon Orochimaru's comment.

"Did something happen?" Shisui frowned.

"Uchiha Itachi has fallen casualty to Madara's forces. Aside from this, Sakura is not here right now."

Shisui's eyes widened, but he made not a sound. But at this comment, Konan finally turned to stare at Sakura, and in doing so could finally see the minuscule changes to her physical characteristics. "Kikyou-sama?"

Kikyou nodded, but did not respond verbally. "Everything will be explained in due time. For now, we must focus on the battle before us. Sakura's team has currently fallen back to be healed; Sasuke is obtaining Itachi's Mangekyou."

As she spoke, the first of Orochimaru's corpses finally began to walk out of its corpses -the Yondaime Hokage, whose eyes finally opened to reveal cerulean blue eyes and obsidian black sclera. He looked around his surroundings, his eyes first falling on Orochimaru's, then his opponents, and finally to the remaining Kages beside him, their eyes finally open as they began to take in the sights before them.

Although all were visibly confused by their sudden awakening, only one seemed visibly shaken by the sight before him, one Senju Hashirama.

Their bodies acted on their own, and sprung out in a battle stance, which had caused their opponents to do the same. "I'll handle the First." Kikyou spoke with certainty. There was unfinished business between them; something she had to relay to him no matter what.

Konan nodded, as she turned to look at Shisui, staring at the Kages' with battle-hardened eyes. "I'll handle the Nidaime."

They had dispersed immediately, and seeing as Pein had already taken to surrounding not just the Yondaime, but Orochimaru as well, it seemed she would be left with the eldest (as far as appearance went) Hokage.

* * *

Despite the fighting stance he was in, his eyes visibly watered at the sight before him; the image of someone who could only be his lover, the woman he had loved so dearly and had tried so desperately to save. "K...Kikyou...? his heart clenched uncomfortably, even as he began to charge at her. But no, there were visible differences in her physique, uncanny resemblances he could not look past, but this was definitely not his lover. And with some sense of lost faith, he allowed his body to give up the restraint it had been taking up, two kunai's meeting, but the clash powerful enough to make its impact around them.

Kikyou smiled slightly at Hashirama's comment; he wasn't entirely wrong, although he was mistaking her for her mother. "I had always dreamed of meeting you, Senju Hashirama..." she began, pausing as they distanced each other and prepared for another attack. "Never would I have imagined it be under these circumstances... Otou-san." She spoke once more once their attacks clashed, both commencing a series of taijutsu attacks.

Hashirama's eyes widened, his strength faltering for the slightest of moments, enough for Kikyou to gain the upper hand and send him flying with a powerful kick to his midsection. He landed with relative ease on his feet, his hand trembling with confusion and anticipation. "You're..."

But he couldn't speak, didn't have the heart to say anything as he once more charged towards someone he now inherently knew to be his daughter.

"Okaa-san was pregnant, the day Madara attacked you. Unbeknownst to her, she fled and feigned her death with me inside of her. That way, you wouldn't come looking for her. You would think she died and move on."

"I was never able to move on." Hashirama declared, a pain in his heart erupting in the tenor in his voice, cracking with despair he had not since felt for nearly a century.

"And neither was she." Kikyou stated truthfully. "She loved you until the day she died. Ironically enough, it was this very love that led to this war." Kikyou could have laughed at the irony.

Hashirama frowned at this information. "Has Madara caused all this?" Although he knew not what was going on, he could feel chakra signatures all around, from far, far away. A battle of great magnitude, spanning over several kilometers.

"Hai... and now it is our responsibility to see to it that his plans fail. But at least now I can say with certainty that you were told... of the secret family you created."

Hashirama smiled, looking around to see one other shinobi apart from Kikyou, she with golden eyes adorning her features, much like the golden eyes of the Kikyou he had fallen for. "How many of them are there? My family?" he couldn't help but wonder.

"Thanks to Madara, our clan has been wiped out." Kikyou responded seriously. "But your lineage lives on in the few that have survived. Seven in total."

What where they, his grandchildren? No, that would put them at Tsunade's age, a granddaughter who he could also feel a few kilometers away; these were great grandchildren. To think all along, that the love he had shared with Kikyou had led to this. "Please don't hesitate to kill me; I am already dead." he decided upon seriously. Despite how much of a strain the jutsu put on him, with this new sense of renewed morale, he knew he could fight it tooth and nail if it meant making this fight easier for his daughter.

"I have waited far too long to end Madara's plans." Kikyou assured her father. "Gomen, Otou-san. This will be the final time we speak..."

Hashirama smiled. "Iee. I'm glad we had this time."

* * *

"How does it look like the fighting is going?" Kisame's eyes shifted to Sayuri, who sat still, concentrating as her lilies channeled her chakra to the battlefield.

"A lot better than it was going for us." Sayuri admitted hesitantly. But this was to be expected; Nagato was on a league all his own, and as was Kikyou. She may not be up to Madara's standards, but she would give any Hokage a run for their money, that was for certain. Shisui and Konan were also quite adept fighters in their own respects, stronger than Kakashi hands down (who was, as they knew, one of the strongest between them all).

But through waiting, Naruto had grown impatient. Itachi's eyes had successfully been transplanted into Sasuke's own, and although his eyes lay bandaged, Tsunade kept pumping healing chakra into them. What would normally take months of healing would have to take hours; they had no option on the matter, and as such she had to make up for the time with nothing but chakra.

"We should help them." Naruto frowned in exasperation. He had come here to fight; to defeat Madara, now dubbed Obito, so why was he sitting here doing nothing while Sakura (in the physical sense) was off fighting their Hokages?

"Kikyou-sama said to remain here, Naruto." Sayuri stated quietly. "Obito is not with them; who knows where he went." And if he had gone in search of them, then without Naruto then they were thoroughly screwed, because Kakashi was out of commission, as well as Sasuke, Tsunade (due to her being preoccupied healing Sasuke), Himawari, and Hiroto. Out of all of them, only three stood a chance at fighting anything; and three would most definitely not be enough.

"But Obito is bound to come back eventually, and when he does-"

"And when he does, I will defeat him." Sasuke finished off Naruto's statement, his tone cold and serious, disregarding the pain in his eyes. Despite the eyes having just been transplanted into him, he could already feel the raw power within him; if he thought the Mangekyou had felt immensely powerful, the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan was unlike anything he had ever felt. The thought that these were his brothers eyes bothered him, but he kept telling himself that this is what Itachi would say is the right thing -to take his eyes so he could finally bring an end to this, and to protect Sakura.

_'Because that's what he would have wanted.'_

Itachi had been self-sacrificing and had given everything for the sake of Konoha, and for his family, and for Sakura -up until his last dying breath. He had to live up and defend Itachi's legacy, no matter what happened now.

Tsunade had summoned a larger portion of Katsuyu to envelop Itachi's corpse in order to better preserve it, and whilst Tsunade kept sending healing chakra to Sasuke's eyes, Katsuyu began to give her updates on the other war fronts.

Apparently everything was running as best as they could hope -all fronts were defending their own, although they didn't know for how much longer this could be. And what would happen if and when Madara was revived? Already there were reports of sighting of Madara (who only they knew to be Obito) and clearly he was searching for something; the quickest conclusion would be for the remaining Jinchuuriki, Killer Bee and Utakata, for the other two were already located. But there was also a chance he was searching for the Harunos' not currently in the elite special ops team or even the Rinnegan currently under Pein's possession.

Whatever it was, once he finally found it, she had a feeling that the war wouldn't go as smoothly as it had gone thus far.

"Inform the Kages' of this development. They should know what we're up against." Tsunade stated seriously. She had left her post, albeit without consulting anyone other than Jiraiya and Shikamaru, but she was glad that she did; had she waited any longer, perhaps the entirety of the team she had sent might have been killed.

She would deal with the repercussions to her actions later, she supposed.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama." Katsuyu responded, but once more silence filled the clearing up until Himawari and Hiroto began to slowly come to from their slumber.

After having been explained of the circumstances that had occurred and the fact that Sakura was apparently in a dimensional time bubble with Matsuro, they were left to silently pray that everything would work out okay.

* * *

Obito could have sighed in frustration. With the appearance of Pein's Six Paths, who inherently had the Rinnegan that Madara so desperately needed, came the trouble of locating him. And as good as he may be at locating chakra signatures, the Rinnegan made Nagato's chakra practically indiscernible from the nature around them. He had spent well over four hours trying to locate the nin, since before he had commenced in battle with the Haruno heiress's team, and still, he found nothing. Clearly, he and Konan had thought out very well where they could hide him.

But they were running out of time; he had already located two Jinchuuriki, and was already hot on the trail of the third and fourth, and Orochimaru should be finishing off the last of the Harunos' as he searched for the Uzumaki. They could not prolong this war forever; eventually the Zetsu clones would die, and the reincarnated shinobi would be defeated and sealed once more, and after that their plans would be in danger of being destroyed.

And frankly, they had worked too hard and too long to let that happen.

With much disappointment he realized that unless he got the information out of Konan directly, he perhaps would not locate Nagato, and without Nagato, he would not be able to revive Madara in the manner which they had planned.

With a grimace, he realized he would have to settle for Tobirama's technique once more, an act which would displease Madara greatly, but at this point he truly had no choice.

* * *

**A/N: I'm here to establish some key points and clarify anything that might need clarification by this point in regards to the Hanabira-me.**

**What you need to know about the God's Eye: This is the original Haruno Clan dojutsu. What it allows at its most basic state is to predict the movements of opponents and has innate genjutsu abilities, exactly like the Sharingan. Experiencing or feeling the great pain of losing a loved one activates what could be compared to the Sharingan's Mangekyou, except that instead of giving you access to the Tsukiyomi, Amaterasu, Suusano, etc., what it allows you to do is access the God's realm, (although to date only Matsuro has been accessed), where you are able to access abilities such as seeing into the future, and ultimately go back into the past (as is the case for the true heirs of the clan only: i.e. Kikyou, Kikyou II, Ayame, &amp; Sakura. True heirs are born once per generation, to lead the clan), although it is not limited to just access to Matsuro.**

**In addition, the original Haruno lineage allowed for a unique kekkei genkai, God Style. In essence, what this allows the wielder to do is to make sacrificial deals with the God's in exchange for something, and what this is, is dependent on what it is you're asking for. Usually chakra is enough, but for the more taxing or complicated ones it may take other things, such as your life force, vitality, etc. etc. This can be seen when Kikyou I used a jutsu to stop time or when she completely healed Hashirama, which sapped some of her life force (and left her feeling the pain that was inflicted upon the injured threefold, although this was not specifically explained). Yet, in order to access and use the God Style, one had to first completely unlock the God's Eye. As such, not many are able to wield and manipulate the powers of the Gods, even among the Haruno, which makes it very rare. The wielder gains access to ALL Kami's (not just Matsuro), and with the acceptance/approval of said Kami, they are able to essentially unlock ALL Kekkei Genkai that does not require a dojutsu. Of course, the Kami must first agree to lend them their power, but afterwards the contract is open until otherwise broken by either party.**

**In a nutshell, God Style is the ability to negate or bipass the need for a bloodline to perform certain jutsus. You bipass the need for genetic relation to the Kami's and get it straight from the source instead. It creates an access point to the dimension of the Gods to create these sacrifical deals.**

**What you need to know about the Flower Eye: It is NOT a dojutsu, but rather, a normal kekkei genkai. What happened was that, in order to disguise the original Haruno dojutsu (God's Eye), the Haruno decided to call it as such and disguise this as "their" kekkei genkai, although it is unique to the main household members of the clan, direct descendants of Kikyou I and Hashirama. Others outside of the main household are NOT able to wield and manipulate plant-life, but because the Haruno kept most of their kekkei genkai and techniques a secret, no one knew too much about it or whether it was specific in its mechanics. Yes, I am aware that all the surviving Haruno members are able to wield the Flower Eye, they were made this way for a reason, which will be explained in a future chapter.**

**Thats just about all I have to say. If you have any more questions don't be afraid to drop a review or PM me, and I'll be more than happy to clear it all up.**

**How Sakura was able to go back into the past will be explained in the next chapter**

**I'm planning for the next chapter to be the final chapter, but depending on how long it takes, I might have a full chapter and then a sort of ending epilogue which will lead to the third and final installment to this fic. **

**Anyway, that is all for now, leave a PM, tell me how much you hate me, it's all good c: I still promise you won't be disappointed with the ending (well, maybe you'll still be angry, we'll see c;)**


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